I frantically wrote Bluebell Ballad alone in my childhood bedroom after reading the poems of Sara Teasdale. It was an actual ballad; a sad, jazzy waltz that disturbed me but would not leave me until I wrote the notes down. The more I played with the tune, the more I craved a story from the song and, thus, the script was born. I poured my fascination with trust, loneliness, and the spirits of our world into the story that bloomed out of me. 

As I set this project aside and watched the world around me change over the years– or, at least, my perception of it– I ached to go back to what we had before. But then, I began to wonder what we were trying to "go back" to. If that place or belief ever existed, or if it changed with us, too. If it watched us and learned. If it, like us, became hungrier. If it, like us, grew desperate.

There's something to be said about the investigation of mysticism through the eyes of black women; our connection to the earth and music around us. How our beliefs and rituals deepen our connection with each other, our ancestors, and ourselves. And how, when misused or misinterpreted, those same beliefs and rituals can destroy us. Our ancestral wisdom goes far beyond the more acceptable western "logic" of today. But if our beliefs are tainted by the very ones that distorted us, how do we regain control? Can we? Or, do we continue pass the agony down?

This story has evolved over the years, from a simple exploration of nature into something deeper. It’s grown darker and more abstract; it raises more questions than it answers. To me, that is its sweet spot. The uncertainty of nature and its true power. The shadows of its history unraveling before us.

-Zainab Bari, Writer, Director, "Soura"

As mentioned above, this short film was inspired by a song, which was inspired by the poems of Sara Teasdale. Therefore, there is a certain musicality to it. Think of Eve's Bayou and The Color of Pomegranates. With a playful fairytale tone, like in Pan's Labyrinth and When Marnie Was There.

Our flights converge, diverge, and converge again.

Stitching it all together is stark coldness. A weighty layer of dread, such as that in Midsommar or The VVitch.

You belong to the forest now.



The power of filmmaking lies not in familiarity, but in the risks. The people long for new stories. They ache for unique voices. In order to bring these into the fold, we have to shine a light on those trying to make a change. If you, like us, crave individuality, then you've come to the right place. If you, like us, care about cultivating an ethical filmmaking process, then you should donate.

We are young artists dedicated to creating stories with care for the world around us. We do not subscribe to the old beliefs of making a film "no matter the cost"- we care about the cost so that we can ensure stability and security for everyone involved in the project. We've come from different walks of life but all have the same understanding: an artist is the most free when they feel safe.

In our minds, this goal is more than achievable. But we need to ensure we are prepared. In order to do that, we're raising funds to:

1. Provide sustenance for our team.
2. Compensate our team for their time.
3. Appropriately pay our outstanding animation artist.
4. Lock down safe and accessible locations for shooting.
5. Cover prop and costume design expenses so that our artists are less restricted.
6. Provide durable and safe equipment for our team.

You are here because you are curious. You too have an artist inside you. All we ask is that you speak to that artist inside of you and share their generosity so that we can continue to create; so that we can continue to build an accessible world where your artist can experience and create, too.

FOLLOW US

Follow along with our journey on @rodeotownproductions Instagram!

CONTRIBUTE

Donate to our campaign if you can! Even a dollar helps. :)

Please note that when you make a pledge, you’ll be prompted to “Tip” Seed & Spark. This is Seed & Spark’s way of offsetting their overhead costs because they don’t charge a platform fee to creators like other crowdfunding platforms. If you do not want to tip, please click on the “Other” button and type $0 into the “Tip Amount” dialogue box.

SHARE

Share our posts on Instagram, Facebook, Substack; mention the campaign to your friends, your neighbors, your aunts and uncles who love to throw money at things. The more people who know about this, the more likely we are to reach our goal. And in reaching our goal (or going beyond), we'll be able to create a project that will fill all of us with pride.

STRETCH GOAL #1: SCREENINGS AND OUTREACH ($13,000)

If we reach this goal, Bluebell Ballad will not only have more public screening opportunities, but also for more distribution options. More chances to share our work. More chances to get this film out into the world.

STRETCH GOAL #2: POST-PRODUCTION ($15,000)

If we should be so lucky to achieve this goal, we'd be able to properly pay our outstanding and hardworking post-production team for their labor. This will include film processing, video and sound editing, mixed media animation, music composition, publicity, and more!

STRETCH GOAL #3: PAY INCREASE ($16,000)

Here at Rodeotown Productions, we believe in paying people what they deserve. However, we are also independent filmmakers who understand that creating art is expensive and it's difficult at this stage to give such hard workers the compensation they deserve. If we achieve this stretch goal (and, wow, - thank you!) we will be increasing the pay of every person working on the film. Art is priceless, but bills still need to be paid and labor still needs to be recognized!

THANK YOU

If you've made it this far, thank you. Thank you for being curious, for being interested in learning more about the stories we're creating. Again, if you cannot contribute financially, please try to share our campaign with people who might find us interesting. And if you can contribute, I'd also like to ask you to consider tipping Seed&Spark. It's a fantastic organization that truly roots for the artist.

Thank you for your support. See you on the other side of the forest.