EXILIC

Created by T Baines, The Pitch 2013

You must confirm that you are 15 years or over to view this video.

Description

Exilic – how far would you go to protect the future of the human race? Inspired by the bible and drawing on elements from our present, Exilic is an epic story of survival that focuses on two main characters: Lev - mother, wife, Guardian peacekeeper; and Edward Zra – an enigmatic, charismatic, self-appointed leader. After centuries of searching, the last surviving humans have finally found a planet to call home. A small taskforce begins work on a settlement, and Lev, assigned as part of the security detail, begins to suspect they’re not alone on the planet. Meanwhile, the people grow impatient to escape the confines of the orbiting spaceship. With their sanctuary feeling increasingly like a prison, tensions rise. Edward Zra makes his presence known and appeals for calm. But when an angry group kill a Guardian and steal a shuttlecraft, events soon spiral out of control. When Zra broadcasts a shocking revelation about the exiles, paranoid fear grips the people and they turn against each other. Desperate to protect her family, Lev tries to silence Zra, but during the ensuing confrontation she’s forced to face a painful truth about her family and the planet they’d all hoped could be a home.

Biblical Connection

Inspired by the books of Erza and Nehemiah, and drawing from contemporary issues affecting our world today; climate change, food/water shortages, and human conflict; themes of particular relevance after a recent IPCC report states that scientists are 95% certain humans are causing the majority of climate change, and a University of East Anglia study suggests that humans will need to relocate to another planet to survive; Exilic transposes the story of the exiled Jews to a sci-fi universe and the human race’s search for a planet to call home. Ezra and Nehemiah make for a challenging read in terms of an ultimatum given – that obedience to God is obligatory and it can come at a very high price in that Jews should separate themselves from their Gentile families. It made me question how such a decision could be made by any loving parent and spouse, and the potential in exploring this moral dilemma in a way that could resonate with a diverse modern audience proved intriguing and exciting. I wanted to challenge the audience and their preconceptions, while posing the question - what makes us human and how far should we go to protect the future of the human race.