ABOUT THE FILM

“Ninah’s Dowry” tells the story of Ninah, a wife who flees her abusive husband. When Ninah’s husband discovers that she is pregnant, he goes after her, determined either to recover his dowry payment or to bring her home.

This film is inspired by the true story of my cousin Evelyn. Ninah, like Evelyn, was an excellent student forced to abandon her studies to marry a physically abusive man. After bearing three children, Ninah found the abuse unbearable and ran away. Her husband pursued her, demanding that she return his dowry money. When Ninah was unable to raise such a sum, her husband and his two friends beat her and dragged her through the streets. No one came to her aid. Knowing that she was headed back to a life of unending torment and possible death, Ninah devised ways to escape.

When I heard about my cousin’s plight, I was shocked. I decided to focus the narrative of my film on the fateful day her husband came to take her home. This film highlights an important human rights issue but is not a propaganda film. This is a true story and an important one. “Ninah’s Dowry” is my debut feature.

I have been working on this movie since 2007. Along the way many obstacles have been overcome with the help of family, friends and notably, "The Global Film Initiative." We are finally at picture lock but still need funds to bring all to completion.

HOW YOUR CONTRIBUTIONS WILL BE USED

Your contribution will help us complete postproduction. We still need to design sound and score, mix the movie, color correct and make a final master. If we surpass our goal, the additional funds will allow us to finesse sound and other crucial details. 

WHAT HAPPENS IF I DON’T REACH MY GOAL

If we do not receive the requested amount, we get nothing. Please, contribute what you can. A big hearty thanks to everyone who has already supported this project and another big hearty thanks to all who will!

UPDATE #3 

Now, before we get too far ahead of ourselves, the campaign is not over. We will only secure the funds when the clock ticks past the deadline of our campaign - 2pm ET on March 26th. At anytime between now and then, a pledge could fall through. It's crucial that we maintain the momentum by spreading the word and keeping the support coming in. Having said that, we firmly believe in all our donors and their support for the film.

With our minimum goal now secured, additional funds will go towards finessing certain elements of post. The surplus would afford us a longer session with the colorist (they charge by the hour) and allow us to make tweaks that we would, otherwise, skip. We would also be able to schedule a full foley session which would vastly improve the ‘realness” of the movie. Finally, we would have funds to submit to festivals. Entry fees add up very quickly. And festivals play a key role in our distribution plan. Quite simply, the more funds we have, the more we can achieve. So, PLEASE, DON'T HOLD BACK. The future of Ninah's Dowry is in your hands. Thank you.