"Have you ever seen a duck drive a truck? Have you ever seen a chicken with lips? Have you ever decided you'll do as you please? Have you ever dined with a lunar eclipse?"

Imogen the Elephant and Her Friend Cartier is about the unexpected relationship between two photographers, one who is ninety, and the other who is nine. Cartier is a third grader in Detroit who feels alienated from the other kids at school, but one day, he decides to ditch school and explore the city, doing what he does best: taking pictures with his disposable camera. He ends up meeting Nana, a quirky old woman who's a little bit crazy, and they each unearth a buried part of one another: Cartier reminds Nana of her past interest in photography, and Nana helps Cartier gain confidence in himself. This is all told from the point of view of a children's book narrator. 

about the film

Imogen the Elephant and Her Friend Cartier is a senior thesis film at the University of Michigan. The two main characters, Cartier and Nana, were inspired by people from my life; Cartier's character is based on a kid from a class I volunteered in, and Nana is based on my grandmother who was a photographer. My other inspirations were magical things, my love for elephants, and the city of Detroit. 

about us

ashley harrison, writer and director: Ashley is a senior in Screen Arts & Cultures at UofM, and her favorite movie is Amélie. In the summer of 2010, she interned in post production at HBO in Santa Monica, and this past summer she worked as a costume intern on AWOL. Right now, she's working on Christiana's thesis as the director of photography, and has been enjoying their car rides to Detroit mainly because they listen to Eminem, Christmas music, and old Nickelodeon theme songs (Ashley thinks the Cousin Skeeter one is the best but Christiana prefers the R&B version of Sister, Sister).

Christiana Botic, director of photography: Christiana is also a senior in Screen Arts & Cultures at UofM, and is currently working on a thesis film--a documentary about the people on the outskirts of Detroit. Her favorite movies are Mrs. Doubtfire and Blue Velvet and her biggest fear is postmodernism. A few summers ago she shot a documentary for Students of the World of Make It Right's work in New Orleans.

Garrison Poston, producer: Garrison is a senior at UofM who is double majoring in finance and economics, but has also taken many film classes. Most recently, he was the line producer of SHARK TANK, a film that was shown at the Traverse City Film Festival. He has an Asian fetish, and by that we mean he studied abroad in China and likes to watch Korean films that center around the theme of revenge. When he grows up, he would like to be "the guy who plays golf with Barack Obama". 

Shannon Smith, producer: Shannon is a senior at UofM who is double majoring in political science and economics. This is his first time producing, but he has always been interested in the way that the images are captured through the cinematic lens. Through this experience, he hopes to understand all of the hard work that goes into making a film, the hundreds of hours that go into a project that, in this case, for example, will only be about twenty minutes long.

Shelby Rodriguez, production designer: Shelby is a junior at MSU majoring in advertising with a design specialization. She is a dog lover, a chocoholic, and loves to travel, and her favorite places are Croatia and NYC. She and Ashley spent many years dancing together (and trading clothes) at the Grand Rapids Ballet, and they're excited to work together in a new context. Be sure to check out Shelby's photography. 

why we need your help

We have decided to do this the old-fashioned way and are shooting on 16mm film, so the majority of your donations will go toward the actual film and the cost of getting it processed and transferred to HD so we can edit it the non-old-fashioned way with Final Cut. When you donate, you'll also be contributing to our art department costs (we're actually making Cartier's imagination world), travel costs to Detroit, food for the cast and crew, costumes, props, animal masks (fun right?) and all of the unexpected costs that sneak up when you're making a movie.

After you donate today, we promise to keep you updated on the progress of our project because it would be impossible without you. This is in addition, of course, to all of the wonderful rewards that you can find on the right side of this page. One more thing--make sure to join us at the Michigan Theater in April so you can see what you've helped create. 

Of course, we understand if you prefer to donate in a different way, whether it is through other donations or with moral support (or support without morals is welcome too!). Anything helps. 

contact us

If you have any questions, concerns, or would like to support us in a different way, please feel free to contact us at imogentheelephant@gmail.com, and we'll be sure to send you a non-automated response (only because we don't have the resources for automated responses).