About
PROJECT
“The Little Prince” is one of the bestselling books in the world, ever! This intriguing work has been read, deconstructed and analyzed by millions of people who remain a passionate and devoted audience.
Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s classic novel has been translated into +250 languages and dialects. A remarkable 200 million books have been sold worldwide, since first published in 1943. After more than 75 years of continuous publication, the book is now in the public domain throughout the majority of the world.
"The Color of the Sun" is inspired by this timeless classic and it adapts it to one of the world’s best known urban settings: New York City. This film unites the classic sojourn of the little man through the rough and tumble urban jungle of NYC’s iconic boroughs.
The coupling of this classic tale with New York City is not frivolous or gratuitous, but it is surprisingly authentic. Here's why...
WHY NEW YORK CITY?
Aviator, poet and novelist Antoine de Saint-Exupéry wrote “Le Petit Prince” in 1942 while exiled in New York City. It seems most natural to set "The Color of the Sun" in the very city in which the story was imagined and written. This film is for all ages. Children and adults alike will be enthralled as the mysterious young boy changes the Pilot’s life, and theirs, forever.
As Antoine prepared to leave NYC and join the French airforce again, he knocked on his friend's, Silvia Hamilton, door wearing his military uniform and said: "I'd like to give you something splendid, but this is all I have". Thus, he gave her a package containing the manuscript and the drawings of "The Little Prince", which the Morgan Library & Museum acquired from Silvia in 1968, which I held in my hands not long ago, whilst conducting research to work on the screenplay.
IDEA
I read the original “Le Petit Prince” in French, when I was ten for the first time and I loved it. I didn’t ask myself questions, I took it as it was. Children live the experiences they’re fed without questioning them and when they do have questions the answer does not hold as much weight as the emotions and feelings that have sprung from the experience itself. I love to remember how it felt to be a child because the zest for life still lies within me in anything I do. Oh if I still feel it! Each little-prince-reader has his or her own theory about its meaning.
What is so terribly beautiful about this latent story lies in the text’s own nature: that of a trip, physical and mental as it may be. One night, when I really had begun working on the screenplay, I had an epiphany: to read the book as though I were a chid. I came to the conclusion that the book will always remain a mystery if we don’t follow the author’s initial dedication: “To Léon Werth, when he was a little boy”. The film “The Color of the Sun”’s dialogues and details remain faithful to those described by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.
To me, the most extraordinary film adaptations are those that manage to transfer written work, as a whole, to film while maintaining the text’s essence completely intact. One day, 3 years ago, while I was talking to my beloved friend, Anouk Rozzo, she mentioned NYC could have been a great city for my film! And she was right!
New York City is a multi-faceted metropolis, each borough, each area, has its own strong personality, revealing the great diversity and richness of its inhabitants’ life styles. The boy embarks upon a journey that will change the pilot's life forever.
“The Color of the Sun” is one’s inner childhood re-discovery through the eyes of a 40 year old French pilot and his inscrutable encounter with a tender golden-haired boy, during a heat soaked summer night, in one of New York City’s subway cars, during a stalemate situation.
Each planet corresponds to New York’s specific areas in different boroughs, five in total, and we are going to use each single one: Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island. Each character is personified in those characters we daily meet, or simply see, on the streets of the city. The roughness of this urban jungle blends well with the different characters met by the boy and I believe it is not by chance that Antoine wrote the book during his New York stay.
Alone and away from home, our beloved author, Antoine turned a solitary situation and the troubles that were tormenting the planet into a bitter sweet story which inspired the world to look at life from a child’s perspective.
DIRECTING "THE COLOR OF THE SUN"
The lessons we learn after watching “The Color of the Sun” are the ones we sometimes forget to ponder on while living in a “high energy” city, a ‘time is money’ par excellence environment, in which dedicating our existence to what is important is a concept we continuously forget to embrace.
The film’s rhythm will reflect this concept. Like a child’s attention, it will fluctuate between an almost spastic curiosity, only to pause for breath when it is caught in awe, ready to receive the message.
Fable-like New York City will be teeming with surreal characters. The Latin King, the vain man, the Russian man, the old drunken Greek, Rose and Da Fox, are all here, manifested in the numerous varying personalities of modern day NYC, their planets replaced by boroughs, all while respecting the book’s original intent.
IT IS DUE TO THIS WIDE VARIETY OF CHARACTERS THAT I HAVE PERSONALLY APPROACHED SOME EXCEPTIONAL ACTORS AND THEY HAVE EXPRESSED INTEREST IN THE FOLLOWING ROLES.
LUIS GUZMÁN: THE LATIN KING
You might have seen him in:
MICHAEL IMPERIOLI: THE BUSINESSMAN
You might have seen him in:
PHILIPPE PETIT
You might have seen him in:
While directing “The Color of the Sun” I want Antoine de Saint-Exupéry’s perspective to lead the way, just as if he was to direct a film about his book during our time.
Antoine was a dreamer and the fact that he drew what he wrote is proof that he was envisioning his story on a visual level. “The Color of the Sun” is a story about human introspection amplified by the psychological detachment from the importance of apparently simple things, this detachment is pushed on us by life’s circumstances during adulthood.
It's a story about a life seemingly destined to deteriorate into a vortex of frivolity; but when all seems lost to adulthood's "heaviness", we understand the true force of existence lies in those things we often forget because they are taken for granted. If we learn to let go of our tendency to obsess over the “serious” things and stop to think about what is truly meaningful, we can redeem that child within us, much like our protagonist during his mysterious encounter with a golden-haired boy.
WHY KICKSTARTER?
I am not a well-known filmmaker and this will be my first feature. I don't have the conceit to declare that I will be better than an experienced studio director, but I do have the confidence to tell you that that I am giving 101% to this project, that I GREW UP with the book "The Little Prince" and I know it inside out. It is has been part of my life during its various stages: childhood, adolescence, young adulthood and now I am 31 and it keeps on acquiring new meanings, every time I "deal" with it.
The screenplay of "The Color of the Sun", which I wrote, respects that inner child who lives inside each and everyone of us. In fact, I am moving forward through Antoine's thoughts and nature: I have prepared this film project thoroughly, in its most infinitesimal details, as well as devoting my entire existence to make it a reality.
My short film, "Without" was successfully funded via Kickstarter, we delivered our pledges and most importantly, "Without" traveled the world participating to internationally renowned film festivals such as “Nastri D’argento”, the longest standing movie award in Europe, as well as numerous American and international Film Festivals.
I can assure you, I shall give this project my whole until it gets made and well after that, to make sure it gets seen and enjoyed by as many people as possible.
I have worked relentlessly to reach certain milestones and a lot has been accomplished:
1) The screenplay is locked down
2) I approached amazing actors who have expressed interest in different roles.
3) Raised private capital which allowed us to...
- Film a proof of concept teaser trailer
- Create visuals for characters and storyboard
- Legal advice concerning trademark and copyright in public and non-public domain countries
I am POSITIVE of the artistic, yet internationally commercial potential of THE COLOR OF THE SUN, and at this moment in time, I believe Kickstarter is the perfect way to fund this project, and this is because this film is not mainstream entertainment.
HOW CAN YOU HELP?
US $100,000 is the minimum we need to move forward with the activities listed below:
- Lock down the potential cast interested in the project;
- Close pre-sales deals made by distributors or sales agents;
- Negotiate distribution in non public domain countries;
- Involve experienced figures, such as director of photography, editor and music composer (just to name a few);
We also want to show potential investors and distributors that we have an audience around the world that supports us and can't wait to see "The Color of the Sun" a film inspired by "The Little Prince" on a screen whether it be in a theater, on a computer or a TV.
EVERY CENT COUNTS.
We accept anything you'd like to donate. Whatever you think the project is worth. You have my solemn word that I will do everything possible (and the impossible) to make it come to life.
WHAT IF WE REACH THE FILM'S BUDGET?
If we get to US $2MLN, rest assured that every single cent in this campaign will go towards the production of the film. And at that point, you will be part of a truly amazing independent project which you, yourself, have helped make and get out to the world.
PRESS INQUIRIES
Emma Davis | Film News PR | Emma@FilmNewsPR.com
SOCIAL MEDIA
Find us on:
TWITTER | FACEBOOK | INSTAGRAM | WEBSITE
SPECIAL THANKS | Proof of Concept Trailer Partners
PROOF OF CONCEPT TRAILER CREDITS
"The Color of the Sun" Inspired by the novel "The Little Prince" by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Kickstarter Video + Teaser Credits
Filmmaker, Editor and Graphics | Ian Mayer
Sound Recordist | Brian Torres
Sound Recordist | Arianna Scutiero
Production Assistant | Gabriele Lamonaca
Host | Paola Sinisgalli
Footage "Making of the Mural" | Brad Ford
Voice Over | André Scialom
Murals and Graffiti
Storyboard and Character Drawings
Riccardo Cena
Graphics and Logos
Francesca Bianchi
*This project is not affiliated with the Estate of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry.*
Risks and challenges
"The Color of the Sun" is using Kickstarter to reach out to all those who are enthusiastic about the project. Through Kickstarter we are able to communicate with our core group of supporters and potentially other individuals who understand what we are up to and who can offer constructive feedback, word-of-mouth and financial support around the world.
If we do reach our budget goal, we will move closer to our production objective and if we reach the film's budget directly on Kickstarter (US $2MLN), there is no doubt we will make the film, send it to festivals and aim to deliver it for international distribution in public domain countries, as well as try our best to buy distribution rights for non-public domain territories.
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