Crowdfunding, Features, Films, News

Moving Forward: Crowdfunding Picks

“La Barracuda”

This month’s crowdfunding projects are about women moving forward in their lives, usually in the wake of tragedy. Each of these projects, from a documentary examining immigration in the 1930s to a web series about homelessness, is interested in what it takes for a woman to move past a time of turmoil and struggle.

“Trees of Peace” is perhaps the most explicit example of this idea. Following four women who suffered through the Rwandan massacre, “Trees of Peace” doesn’t dwell on their past, but instead looks at how women in Rwanda rebuilt their lives. “Homeless With My Louie Bag” is a web series focused on living without a home, but seeks to inspire its audience through the resilience of its central characters.

“Natural Hair” takes a serious look at the way women of color struggle regularly with hair identity, using that issue to highlight the numerous and sometimes subtle ways racism entwines itself into their lives. The short documentary “Paper Daughters” tells a timely immigrant story about two Chinese sisters who look for new opportunities after the death of their mother. Our last pick, “La Barracuda,” examines the role family members play in each other’s lives, for better and worse, and the way our struggles are often shaped by our relatives.

Here are our February 2017 crowdfunding picks.

“Trees of Peace” — Written and Directed by Alanna Brown

An ambitious narrative account of four women who survived the Rwandan Genocide, “Trees of Peace” reveals how these women — Tutsi Mutesi, Hutu moderate Annick, Tutsi nun Jeanette, and American volunteer Peyton — got through the event with their spirits intact. Rwanda now has more women in government roles than any other country in the world, writer-director Alanna Brown tells us in her campaign pitch. “Trees of Peace” examines the role women took in the aftermath of the genocide, and seeks to give the four women at its center rich inner lives within and outside the tragic context.

You can support “Trees of Peace” on Kickstarter.

“Homeless With My Louie Bag” (Web Series) — Created, Written, and Directed by Alecia Tatum

“Homeless With My Louie Bag” is based on creator Alecia Tatum’s own experiences — she too was once homeless in New York City. The web series explores homeless communities and the members’ everyday lives. Following a mother and daughter who seem more like sisters, “Homeless With My Louie Bag” examines the unique hardships the pair face, and how the two women come together to overcome them.

You can support the web series on Indiegogo.

“Natural Hair” (Documentary)

“Natural Hair” focuses on the role hair plays in women of color’s lives and the political statement that hair can sometimes be in and of itself. The documentary also examines the history of black hair and explores how women of color are currently expressing themselves with experimentation with hair.

You can support “Natural Hair” on Kickstarter.

“Paper Daughters” (Short Documentary)

There are few issues more relevant right now than immigration, the subject of “Paper Daughters,” a short-form documentary. The film is about two Chinese sisters who decide to immigrate to America in 1938 after their mother’s death. The pair contend with the Chinese Exclusion Act, which forces them to purchase fake birth certificates in order to enter the United States. The film is startlingly timely, focusing on America’s history of immigration restriction at a moment when it is a daily discussion in the news.

You can support the doc on Indiegogo.

“La Barracuda” — Co-Directed by Julia Halperin

“La Barracuda” centers on Merle (Allison Tolman, “Fargo”), whose life is thrown into turmoil when a long lost half-sister, Sinaloa (Sophie Reid, “Game of Thrones”), enters her life. The pair are initially united by a shared love of music, but a dark secret is buried in Sinaloa’s past, one that strains Merle’s relationships with her fiancé and mother. “La Barracuda” examines the traumas people share and the difficulty they have letting them go.

You can support “La Barracuda” on Indiegogo.

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.


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