This round of crowdfunding explores the stakes of our interconnectivity and the imperatives of creating ethical and accountable intimate relationships. Whether immersing viewers in familial challenges, secrets in romantic relationships, or the power dynamics that make us vulnerable in sexual relationships, these projects offer insight into different relationships as microcosms of broader cultural dynamics.
“Daughters” follows a dance program that has allowed daughters to connect with their incarcerated fathers, while “I Am” follows a young woman who keeps a formative secret from her partner, even as she moves in with him. And “Object of Affection” takes a familiar story and turns it on its head, offering a critical look at rape culture.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s crowdfunding picks.
“Daughters” (Documentary) – Directed by Natalie Rae
The full scope of the United States’ prison-industrial complex’s consequences on Black families is difficult to grasp. Black family members are disappeared behind bars and largely forgotten apart from the families and friends who feel their absence. “Daughters” takes one of these reverberations as its subject by focusing on three young girls who discuss missing their fathers and yearning to touch them; touch is largely prohibited by the restrictions of regular visitation in jails and prisons.
Natalie Rae’s first feature documentary provides viewers just a solemn glimpse of the effects incarcerated Black fathers’ absences have on their families. Per the film’s crowdfunding pitch, the documentary film “follows three young girls as they prepare to dance with their Dads in jail as part of a rare prison program that aims to create a deeper connection between incarcerated fathers and daughters.” By spotlighting father-daughter relationships, “Daughters” demonstrates that “the wounds caused by incarceration on a child can last a lifetime.”
The dance program was 12-year-old Franiqua’s idea; she worked closely with Angela Patton’s Girls For A Change. Patton’s organization strives to empower girls and young women by “inviting them to design, lead, fund, and implement social change projects that tackle issues girls face in their own neighborhoods.” Patton also leads Camp Diva and has spoken about her work to empower Black girls and young women generally, and the dance program more specifically, in a TED talk. Without a doubt, “Daughters” will be a culmination of multiple efforts to empower and tell the stories of Black communities, reflecting the tireless efforts of girls who miss their fathers, determined women community leaders, and female storytellers.
Learn more about “Daughters” and donate on Kickstarter.
“I Am” (Short) – Directed by Ludovica Musumeci
Moving in with your partner can be a stressful, exciting, frustrating practice of intimacy and vulnerability that is rife with renegotiation of boundaries and consolidation of furniture. “I Am” takes this already challenging adjustment for protagonist Gabi (Oriane Pick) and couples it with a secret Gabi has kept from her partner, Mike (Charlie MacGechan): she is schizophrenic, and hasn’t told Mike out of fear of being rejected.
According to the crowdfunding pitch, “I Am” “explores schizophrenia and breaks the many stigmas and clichés still surrounding this mental condition.” The creators note that while there has fortunately been progress in the cultural discourse surrounding mental health, there are still far too many sensationalized, caricature-like representations of schizophrenia in popular culture. To ensure that they are telling this story ethically and responsibly, the film’s creators consulted with mental health activists “to ensure the script was as truthful, beautiful, and authentic as possible and would not, under any circumstances, trigger the audience living with mental illness.”
Director Ludovica Musumeci notes in the video pitch that through “I Am,” viewers can be “part of a conversation that has been long needed.”
Learn more about and donate to “I Am” on Kickstarter.
“Object of Affection” (Short) – Written and Directed by Marygrace Navarra
Not unlike “I Am,” “Object of Affection” also takes a familiar story and offers a twist that provides insight into an important social issue. In this case, the film takes on rape culture on college campuses, focusing on how parties and efforts to connect so often devolve into traumatic situations, especially for young women.
After Jonah (Garrett McCord) gets into Yale University Law School, he attends a party, meets Violet (Gloria Bangiola), and decides to pursue her. When Jonah sets his sights on Violet, the party becomes a hyperbolic metaphor for toxic masculinity and rape culture: “the crowd begins to act oddly, like a harmonious school of fish,” the project’s campaign details. “They grow reverent of him … The party launches into a surreal celebration … Jocks brawl to defend his honor.” The film will spotlight the sometimes virulent defense of those accused of sexual assault and rape, implicating widespread cultural complicity that enables violence in our most intimate of interactions. As the creators note, “most of us have failed to draw a connection between our rape culture and the truth of our lives.”
Production on “Object of Affection” was halted as a result of COVID-19, but the creators are hopeful to come back to “set stronger than ever and safer than ever.”
Learn more about and donate to “Object of Affection” on Seed&Spark.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to waheditorialfellows@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
