Affect / Defect

Created by Lewis Coates, The Pitch 2019

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Description

Our gripping & compassionate thriller turns the traditional 'immigration tale' on it's head. The UK has become so violent and dangerous that citizens are forced to flee the country illegally for a safer life. This story is regularly found in the bible telling us to follow our hearts and move from place-to-place to escape persectution and war. Annie works on a futuristic shipyard and one day she comes across a young girl, injured and hiding by a shipping container. She reveals the city has got too dangerous and she needs to escape on the ship. As the intruder alarm goes off, Annie is forced to choose whether to risk her life to save the girl and send her on her way, or leave her to fend for herself. This high octane short entertains our audience whilst discussing the thought-provoking themes of immigration, empowerment and human rights. The bittersweet ending leaves the viewer with a mixture of hope, fear & distress, making a social & political statement about the world today. "How long will you wander, my wayward daughter?" Jeremiah 31.22

Biblical Connection

I will be adapting the 'Rachel's Voice' narrative from Jeremiah 31.15 - 17 but setting it in a dystopian United Kingdom in the future where Kamilla, a young girl has to escape the violent and unpredictable country in order to find safety. This will re-focus the story on the children's perilous journey to a far away land, rather than the parents and Rachel's point of view, weeping at home. By changing the focus, we can keep the film action-packed and exciting, but still show the emotion and fear of a mother and daughter separated. The character of Annie who is the stranger that risks her life to protect Kamilla still shows a motherly bond as Rachel does, but this characteristic being shown between two strangers creates a much more compassionate impact. Kamilla has to trust her saviour or be forced to proceed alone. This also reflects other parables in the bible like the Good Samaritan in Luke 10. The chains and exile mentioned later in Jeremiah 31 is adapted to be the emotional chains of modern society, holding down the citizens in a violent and unpredictable world until they need to escape.