We'll Meet Again (a Thesis Film by Tyana Mckenzie)

Hi everyone! My name is Tyana Mckenzie, the writer/director of We’ll Meet Again. I am a filmmaker based in New York. I was born and raised in Jamaica until the age of 8, when my mother and I moved to the United States. My interest in filmmaking began in high school and since then it has become a fully-ignited passion. My background and upbringing became a powerful muse for my cinematic endeavors. Since my adolescence, I've been drawn to supernatural, paranormal, and horror films. However, rarely did I see those who look like me represented on screen. I aim to produce films within those genres, showcasing actors of color, where our race or ethnicity isn't the central focus. As an aspiring filmmaker, I strive to create narratives that are infused with cultural nuances and personal reflection, crafting stories that not only reflect my personal journey but also resonate with diverse experiences within the broader spectrum of culture and identity.

In my upcoming short film We'll Meet Again, Sierra, a grief-stricken seventeen-year-old high school senior, grapples with the profound loss of her mother. Driven by an unwavering desire to reconnect with her departed mother, Sierra turns to the world of lucid dreaming. We'll Meet Again unfolds as a tender exploration of the enduring power of love, the resilience of the human spirit, and the transcendent nature of connections that endure beyond the boundaries of life and death.

In my exploration of death, I've never lost a parent, but my journey through loss began with the sudden passing of a cousin in a car accident during high school. The profound pain experienced that day marked my first intimate encounter with death. Despite little prior interaction with my cousin, the day before his death, an inexplicable sense of dread foreshadowed the tragedy. Within my family, the experience of death takes a unique turn, with relatives possessing a strong connection to the departed. My aunt, especially, shares an extraordinary link with my cousin, having seen and interacted with him posthumously. We’ll Meet Again, my film, aims to authentically capture the varied ways we navigate grief. It delves into the desperation to reconnect with lost loved ones, even if only through the curated realms of dreams. In We’ll Meet Again, we explore the intersection of reality and dreams, questioning whether, in lucid dream states, we can momentarily escape the relentless weight of grief and, in our minds, bring back those we've lost, if only for a night.

The Visuals

Since We’ll Meet Again will be split between the real world and a dreamscape, we will be shooting each sequence in a different format. The real world will be shot digitally whilst the dreams will be shot on 16mm film, which is a large portion of the budget. In relation to Sierra’s mother’s passing, it will be raining throughout the dream sequences to represent the dark, cold and gloomy state of mind that Sierra has been stuck in. Most of this film will take place in the nighttime in order to enhance the feeling of entrapment to the dream world that Sierra cannot escape. I want the audience to feel distant from our characters while understanding and pitying their situation.

Impact Statement



We’ll Meet Again, simply, is an emotional journey. We hope to intricately explore the haunting reality of death, weaving a narrative that resonates with authenticity. Your support ensures we capture the raw essence of grief, depicting the universal yearning to reconnect with departed souls. Join us in crafting a film that transcends the ordinary portrayal of death on screen, offering solace and understanding to those grappling with the profound complexities of loss.

What We Need and What You Get / What Your Contribution Does

We'll Meet Again will enter production in January 2024. With an estimated cost of $10,000, your contribution will play a pivotal role in covering essential aspects of production, including compensating our talented cast and crew, securing vital rentals, scouting locations, crafting a captivating set, and keep our production running smoothly. Since We'll Meet Again is my thesis, and my final project of my college career, myself and my peers alike have turned to crowdfunding because our projects are completely student funded. Your generosity ensures that our vision, rich in narrative and creativity, comes to fruition. Every donation, no matter the size, brings us one step closer to making our cinematic dream a reality. Thank you for being a crucial part of our filmmaking family!

Budget Breakdown

To keep updated on We'll Meet Again feel free to follow our instagram account: [ https://www.instagram.com/wellmeetagainfilm/ ] where we will be posting about our cast, crew, shoot dates, need for extra's and more. Maybe you can even be featured in We'll Meet Again!

Key Crew

Tyana Mckenzie, Writer/Director

Pranavi Davuluri, Producer

Marian Fragoso, Director of Photography

Kimberly Lim, Assistant Director

Tina Vong, Producer

Alexandria Spellman, Art Director

Maura Garnett, Casting Director

My Past Work (all coming soon...)