Kickstarter

ABOUT US - If you told me 6 months ago that an Azeri director, Turkish poet and philosopher from Maine would collaborate on a short film, I would have laughed dismissively; but, 167 days, 327 shots, 2 fake owls and 4000 dollars later, the project that began as an intense conversation is materializing into a well-crafted film. 'Force Majeure' has been an overwhelmingly successful—albeit characteristically bizarre—melding of minds, ideas and skills; but while ambitions run high, resources run low.

ABOUT OUR FILM – 'Force Majeure' upends the stereotypical family drama to address issues of repression, guilt and sacrifice. Mom and Dad go on a weekend hunting trip, leaving their daughter home alone; instead of caring for the family dog, she invites her ravenous boyfriend over. Audience expectations are swiftly smashed when the returning parents are greeted by a disaster of sorts. The family is so thoroughly incapable of directly confronting this disaster that an innocent bystander is taken as a scapegoat.

'Force Majeure' is much more than a sequence of side-looking glances, animal heads and lush tracking shots set to intense Azeri classical music; it also includes a surprise explosion, an igloo cooler and most importantly the cutest puppy in the entire universe. We continue to attend, perhaps compulsively, to every aesthetic, narrative and philosophical detail.

WHAT WE’VE DONE, WHAT WE NEED TO DO – We have written and filmed everything, and are presently on the post-production leg. This means 24/7 editing, sound engineering, editing, marketing and did I mention editing? Aside from paying off some long overdue bills (to incredibly patient actors, actresses and cinematographers) we are in dire need of stimulus for domestic and international film festival application fees. We realistically (and this is coming from a life-long skeptic) believe that 'Force Majeure' is good enough for the festival circuit, but just need the finances to get it there. Since the deadline for many of these festivals is late February/early March, we need to regroup for the final stretch quickly.

WHY WE NEED YOU - We have drained our piggy banks, spent our lunch money, and begun turning tricks all to keep our baby satisfied. Unfortunately, at this point she needs more than we alone can provide. Studios and financiers are flatly unwilling to fund indie short films, because there is little to no chance of return (when was the last time you paid to see a 10-minute film in IMAX?). So, in order to make sure this happens, we need to seek $$$ elsewhere; specifically, we need to beg (in the most respectable possible way, of course) our friends and families. If you believe in financing art and film for its intrinsic value, or perhaps you just really believe in one/all of us, then please consider helping fund this project. I feel like Children’s International here, but every dollar helps!!!