Surrealism allows the mundane and the exotic to coexist, woven together in a way that creates a new reality unbound by the limitations of our world. It represents a potent force for creativity and imagination, allowing for fascinating and novel perspectives on life’s everyday issues.
In this round of crowdfunding picks, women filmmakers leave behind reality for a bit of fantasy, embracing the whimsy and unpredictability that follows. The surreal elements of each project allow their protagonists to view challenges from unconventional points of view, resulting in original, compelling stories about engaging women characters.
“The Glass Dream” permits viewers to escape into a dazzling world full of mystical and wise women. In “Lady Parts,” filmmakers bring a woman’s removed organs to life to help her process a painful and emotional experience. And finally, “Blackheads” observes a young woman post-breakup as she reimagines herself and her ex as planets among the stars.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest women-created and women-centric crowdfunding picks.
“The Glass Dream” (Short) – Written and Directed by Djenaba Davis-Eyo
From blockbusters like “Inception” to cult favorites such as “Mulholland Drive,” dreams have long featured in cinema. Whether they provide eerie foreshadowing or fantastic, hallucinatory imagery, dreams allow filmmakers to move beyond reality into the realm of imagination and fantasy. With her short film “The Glass Dream,” writer-director Djenaba Davis-Eyo hopes to do just that.
“The Glass Dream” follows Ayumu, a woman on a journey to figure out the meaning of her disturbing dreams. Complete with a character who embodies Joan of Arc, a mystical oracle, and an enchantress, Davis-Eyo’s project will create a world unlike any other. With visuals inspired by prisms, elaborate, edgy costumes, and films like “The Favourite,” “The Glass Dream” will plunge viewers into this surreal world as they follow Ayumu through her encounters with five mystical women.
In the project’s Indiegogo campaign, the primarily women-led crew explains that their goal is to make a “short film [that] not only looks visually stunning but also involves people from diverse backgrounds, women, and non-binary people.” The film’s story will be also be powered by women characters with their own unique styles, backgrounds, and perspectives.
“I enjoy things that are out of the ordinary,” Davis-Eyo explains in the film’s Indiegogo video. “Not only is the dream surreal,” she assures viewers, “but the world itself when she’s awake is abstract.” This ambition to weave together the real and the abstract, the conscious and the unconscious, promises to make “The Glass Dream” a short film to seek out.
Support “The Glass Dream” on Indiegogo.
“Lady Parts” – Directed by Elizabeth Manashil
Of the one in eight U.S. women who will develop breast cancer over the course of their lifetimes, five to 10 percent will have had mutations in their BRCA-1 or BRCA-2 genes. Women like Angelina Jolie who have tested positive for such mutations have increasingly made the difficult choice to undergo preventive surgery in order to decrease their chances of cancer. “Lady Parts” follows one such woman, Danielle, who ends up with some unexpected companions following her own procedure.
While her sister is undergoing chemotherapy for breast cancer, Danielle makes the decision to have preventative surgery due to her high risk of developing breast and ovarian cancers. Her ovaries, fallopian tubes, uterus, and cervix are then promptly removed, jarred, and sent back home with her. Instead of remaining unanimated, slightly grotesque souvenirs, however, Danielle’s organs begin talking, giving advice, and becoming her closest confidants.
The dark comedic feature film project hopes to raise awareness about the danger of BRCA mutations while shining a light on the experiences of women who have received preventative surgeries. Devin Sidell, who plays Danielle, counts herself among the many “previvors” and will bring her personal experience with the subject to “Lady Parts.” Sidell will bare the scars of her preventative double mastectomy on-screen to allow the audience to “truly get a feeling for what a difficult decision this is and how the aftermath honestly looks,” according to the film’s Seed&Spark campaign.
As director Elizabeth Manashil writes in her director’s statement, “Lady Parts” is a “story based on an authentic, powerful experience.” Ultimately, the project will bring the darkness and absurdity of cancer to light from a perspective that has yet to be fully explored in film.
Support “Lady Parts” on Seed&Spark.
“Blackheads” (Short) – Written and Directed by Emily Ann Hoffman
The period following a breakup can reanimate latent insecurities, prompt serious introspection, and involve lots of Ben & Jerry’s. Figuring out how to be single again can be a daunting process, particularly if you have a therapist who isn’t exactly helpful. Writer-director Emily Ann Hoffman’s latest animated short tackles that exact problem from the perspective of Sofia, a newly single woman with a penchant for picking at her skin.
“Blackheads” follows Sofia after she gets a call from her therapist following a hard breakup. Though the call doesn’t prove to be particularly helpful, it prompts her to re-conceive of herself and her ex as Mars and Venus. As she entertains this fantasy, remembering a conversation with her ex about blackhead extraction and aging, the film travels through time and space (literally!) until Sofia is able to come to terms with what happened and how she wants to move forward.
In her director’s statement for “Blackheads,” Hoffman writes that film is about “reconnecting with yourself after losing someone who was close to you, and dismantling self-destructive urges through mind and body self-care.” Hoffman hopes her work can tell “relatable, human stories” that challenge one-dimensional representations of women — particularly those in animation — their bodies, and their sexuality.
Women and Hollywood featured Hoffman’s award-winning 2017 short film, “Nevada,” in a previous post, highlighting her unique animation style and direct approach to subjects that may feel taboo. “Blackheads” seems set to follow in its footsteps as a quirky, intelligent meditation on relationships, self-care, and bad therapists.
Support “Blackheads” on Kickstarter.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to womenandhollywoodinterns@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
