Logline

Modern-day incarnations of infamous female saints roam the halls of their devout Catholic college and navigate life as young twenty-first century women.

The Executive Producers

Sofía Farrés (she/her) - Sofía Farrés is a Cuban-American screenwriter, director, and producer. Born, raised, and currently based in Miami, FL, her specialty is building worlds rooted in her unique identity as a woman and proud Latina in an ever-evolving sociopolitical landscape. Her stories, including To Be Damned, are ones she hopes the women who’ve shaped her and all who follow in similar footsteps can lose themselves in while also presenting difficult truths without performing perfection to impress an American audience.

Unflinching in her portrayal of issues plaguing women and the world at large today—such as body dysmorphia, shame, purity culture, and institutional hypocrisy—Sofía’s work fills a much needed gap in women’s media. She is determined to spend her life creating art that makes people feel seen for all their humanity, especially at such a critical time.

Ellie Carlin (she/her) - Ellie Carlin is a producer with experience spanning development, production coordination, and on-set support, with a strong focus on bringing original projects to life. She has a background in television development, where she contributed through script coverage and pitch deck creation, helping shape stories from concept to execution.

She is currently the Executive Producer of To Be Damned, an independent web series that this GoFundMe campaign is directly supporting. Since February 2023, Ellie has led the project from the ground up—developing its concept, storylines, and production timeline while tracking its progress at every stage. She has built and onboarded a 45-member film crew, managed the series’ social media presence on TikTok, and overseen fundraising efforts, events, and partnerships to bring the project closer to completion. Through To Be Damned, Ellie is committed to creating a compelling, independent production that reflects the passion and dedication of its team—and with your support, this project can fully come to life.

Writer/Director Statement

When I was younger, I used to take naps in the pews at my Church on off hours. I felt safe there—like no one could hurt me in the House of God. He’d protect me if anyone tried. I often think of one of the Sisters at my church who used to ask me what I wanted to be when I grew up. Every time, I told her I wanted to be famous, and every time she responded by saying that I should try to be a saint. "The whole world will want to be just like you," she said to me. So I studied hard, taught myself Saint Thérèse’s ‘Little Way,’ went blind like Saint Lucy, starved myself like Saint Rose, forgave the people who made me feel violated like Saint Agatha. I let myself die so that God would be the only thing living within me. It wasn’t until the death of who I was that I realized I never wanted to be a saint. The saints are the damned ones—damned to an eternity of having to be good, to be complacent, and to suffer.

For many years of my life, I was considered to be the embodiment of a pious and holy person by the people around me. I was constantly asked how I had such strong faith. What they don’t know is that I was never actually certain of anything. I was merely pretending, mostly to cope with the anxiety and depression I was battling. Around my 18th birthday, I realized that I could no longer justify my self-inflicted pain with the promise of eternal life. I could no longer defend an institution who largely breeds homophobia and misogyny among its members while simultaneously claiming that we are all equal in the eyes of a God who is supposedly good. I could no longer turn the other cheek at the expense of my morals, my sanity, and the dream my younger self had to simply be loved with conviction and without condition. I decided it was time to give up on trying to fit into the small box in which I felt forced to contain myself.

This realization revived me and thus, To Be Damned was born. As my honors thesis at Emerson College, I wrote a 60-page research paper about the effects that growing up in the Catholic Church has on the mental health of young women. Simultaneously, I shot a web series with a spectacular cast and crew made up predominantly of other students from my college. This project is meant to make people think: What are the implications of being taught that our value to God and to others is dependent on how much we have suffered throughout our lives?

The series follows five different characters, each of whose arcs are loosely based on the stories of the saints they are named after. Soon on the To Be Damned website, you will be able to read each of their real stories as told by the Catholics who have taught me and countless other young women about the saints.

With all that being said, I want to make it clear that I have immense respect for those who taught me the ways of Catholicism throughout my life; most especially those who helped ease my doubts, made sure I ate and slept every day, and helped me see that I did not need to suffer the way the saints did in order to lead a life I could be proud of. I know they’re reading this, and I hope they can feel the unremitting gratitude, admiration, and love I have for them.

Creating a show such as this one as a student filmmaker was a massive feat, so I humbly ask for any support you are willing and able to give for us to recoup production funds. Whether it be donating or sharing the project on social media, with family, and with friends... anything helps!

For any way in which you are able to help support this project, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

With love always,

Sofía Farrés