Desde La Tierra Muerta
Mexico City, Mexico | Film Short
Drama, Horror
Eleonora simply does as she's told and lives her life dutifully. After being sold into a hasty marriage and moving to an isolated farm in the mountains, Eleonora is met by another stranger in the woods, who rouses in her the desire for something more.
Desde La Tierra Muerta
Mexico City, Mexico | Film Short
Drama, Horror
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $15,500 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
91 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Eleonora simply does as she's told and lives her life dutifully. After being sold into a hasty marriage and moving to an isolated farm in the mountains, Eleonora is met by another stranger in the woods, who rouses in her the desire for something more.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
AS OF OCTOBER 16, less than 48 hours into our campaign, WE MET 100% OF OUR GOAL!
We cannot thank you enough for all of your help. YOU made this possible with YOUR pledges, YOUR shares, and YOUR follows. Thank you!
BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP!
As many indie filmmakers know, we budget for the bare-minimum of what we need to make the film actually happen. But these budgets are usually relying on favors, and honestly, luck. With the budget we have now, we are still extremely restricted. So many major decisions for our film are being made due to a lack of funds. That's why we are establishing the below stretch goals that will make THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE TO OUR PRODUCTION! Not only will these stretch goals make for a better film, but it will ensure everyone on set is taken care of and provided with the necessary tools to excel in their positions!
- STRETCH GOAL #1: 1k (total of 11k goal). This amazing platform, Seed and Spark, takes 5% of raised funds. This stretch goal will help us keep our original goal of 10k.
- STRETCH GOAL #2: 3k (total of 13k goal). One of the most challenging parts of this film is the location. We have limited ourselves to only a few possible location options due to our budget. If we meet this goal it opens up our story to BOUNDLESS location possibilities. This will be HUGE in the creation of our world!
- SUPER STRETCH GOAL #3: 5K (total of 15k goal). This would not only allow us to give our cast and crew more comfortable lodging options BUT we will be able to give each department more funds to ensure they have access to best of the best tools, equipment, and hands! Then, if we are lucky, we may even be able to put some towards a post budget!
Again, we cannot express our gratitude for all of your support. Thank you for putting your faith in us and believing in us as storytellers. We promise to bring you something we truly love and cherish.
I reached a point about two years ago where I hoped to write more stories that married personal and intimate narratives with genre based pieces. Thus, the creation of Desde La Tierra Muerta. As a writer, I found no better place than the worlds of folklore and horror to explore and visualize the spirit of a young woman's struggle for control over her body and voice. There's a reason monsters in folklore and horror so often take the shape of the female figure: old women (meant to terrify) or young women (meant to seduce then lead to horrific death). Our story explores how a woman’s desire for self-discovery and agency contradicts society's natural order of the world. When a woman becomes self-aware she becomes a danger to the backbone of society. Or in the terms of horror, she becomes a monster.
(Concept art for Desde La Tierra Muerta by Fernando Mota)
In addition to the pressures of maintaining society's status quo, the spirit of this story comes from the endeavor to maintain the “correct way of being” in both the eyes of the highly conservative women that make up my family, and then, the very progressive women who I surround myself with today. Both of whom refer to their opposite group as monsters. With two starkly opposing forces pressing into me on either side, plus the added pressures of society mentioned above, I struggled to define my womanhood. I felt as though, no matter how I chose to live, I was betraying someone, whether that be society, other women, or myself. This film explores issues of morality and character through a woman’s desperation for self-authority. This story is meant to make us uncomfortable as we reflect on the ways in which we all participate and live in monstrosity. My hope is not to redefine the moral spheres of good and bad, in fact I implore you to forget these terms in relation to my story. Rather, my hope is to have us reconsider the term monster and bring to it a heightened perception of identity.
Our story is set in the 1600’s of New Spain and lives in the horror genre. Whether 400+ years ago, or in present day, women's bodies have been and continue to be one of the most litigated objects in human history. The point of setting this narrative so long ago is to show that this is a timeless story, one as old as time but still universally lived everyday.
As for the horror genre, what better world to explore the monstrosity of womanhood than the world of horror. We’ve packed a lot of metaphoric imagery into the script to bring a literal representation of feminine monstrosity.
Maria and Mario will give the world of Desde La Tierra Muerta memorable life through the curation of hand-made costumes, set dec, FX make-up, and character concepts. Under their direction, a skilled team of artists will create a historically accurate, visually stunning, and vividly terrifying experience for our viewers!
(Pictured above: short film, NAHJUM, directed by Manuel Del Valle and Sebastián Torres Green, and music video, El Cielo No Es De Nadie, directed by Manuel Del Valle)
Our Intended Audience
As mentioned in our video, above all else, this campaign is about connecting to our eventual and intended audience. Wondering if you're a part of this intended audience? If it were just up to me, I'd say no matter who you are, where you come from, or your taste in film, you are my intended audience. I am a firm believer that stories are meant for everyone, and that it's our duty to seek out and support all types of stories. Whether it's your lived experience or not, that doesn't mean you can't find your very own meaning in the narrative. With that said, I know we all have our preferences. To narrow it down, if part of the reason you watch movies, read books, or participate in any form of art, is to feel a sense of connection, reflection, or purpose, you are my intended audience. If you have ever felt voiceless, you are my intended audience. If you have ever made a terribly regretted mistake, or allowed your fatal flaw to define your life, you are my intended audience. All of which are the simple and basic mechanisms of what it means to be a person: every single one of us has experienced suffering and every single one of us has been the bearer of pain to others. These are the simple themes our film explores, and you are invited to explore what these themes mean in your life through our story. Therefore, just as important as your contributions, your commitment to follow the journey of this film and watch it upon its completion is the most important gift you can give.
I promise that we are putting absolutely everything we have into this story to ensure that it gets done. Fortunately, everything we have has totaled to half of the budget, now we're here to ask for your help in getting us to the finish line.
Here's how you can help:
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE
-Contribute and pledge whatever works with your budget! We must raise at least 80% of our goal to keep the funds. Every dollar counts. This is a story that we all believe in wholeheartedly and have put so much work into, hopefully that's enough to inspire people to back it. But if you need a bit more convincing, it's almost halloween! What better way to celebrate halloween than by pledging whatever you can to aid the creation of a socially charged horror film! Don't forget to check out our incentive section! We have so much we want to give you for your support.
FOLLOW OUR CAMPAIGN
-Press that follow button on the top right corner! It's free and can earn us rewards through Seed&Spark that can be of great help in the future. It also will help you stay connected with us, which as I said, is what this film is all about.
SHARE OUR CAMPAIGN
-Spread the word with everyone you know! 10k is a lot of money as a whole, but if enough people are willing to contribute it's completely achievable. You can help by asking family, friends, co-workers and fellow filmmakers to visit this page and make a pledge, no matter how small. While the actual value of each pledge may vary, each one represents the same amount of support and gratitude to us! One of the best ways to reach as many people as possible is by sharing our campaign on your social media platforms!
We know sometimes thinking of what to say can be hard. Feel free to copy and paste the below examples on your stories, statuses, and posts!
Help filmmaker @juliathecatladyy by supporting her film: Desde La Tierra Muerta, a socially charged horror film that explores the impact of societal pressures placed on young women. Support them on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
I'm so excited for @juliathecatladyy and her whole team as they approach production for their upcoming short film Desde La Tierra Muerta. Support their journey on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
@juliathecatladyy and her team have been hard at work on the creation of their next film Desde La Tierra Muerta, shooting in Mexico this winter! I can't wait to see what this team of filmmakers puts together for us. Join their story on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
Thank you again for all of your support, we can't do it without you.
Video credits: Animation by André Comtois & Score by Francois Comtois, Narrator our very own Alejandra Herrera.
Special thanks to Evidence Cameras and the whole Evidence team.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $1,000
This is a heavy script, we need the best of the best actors to bring it to life.
Art Department
Costs $2,000
Due to the film being both a horror and period piece, art direction is key for world building.
Location
Costs $1,000
"Desde La Tierra Muerta" means "of the Dead Earth", *Hint* Land plays a huge role in our story.
Camera Rental
Costs $2,000
Help us provide the tools our incredible camera team needs to make this film visually beautiful!
Food and Accommodations
Costs $2,000
Believe it or not, this is usually the most expensive (and most important) part of moviemaking!
Production Sound
Costs $1,000
This isn't just a visual medium, sound is essential in establishing world, mood, and story!
G&E
Costs $1,000
This film has a lot of night exteriors, we need powerful and industrial lights to make it work!
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a team of diverse filmmakers located in CDMX, Mexico, and Los Angeles, CA. Our team's talents range from an array of specified filmmaking components (screenwriting, art department, cinematography, sound, producing, acting, etc). Each us has dedicated our lives to these named fields, bringing a level of great care and respect to each element of filmmaking. Our mission is to bring together multiple voices and perspectives in a safe space where we celebrate all creative ideas. What brings us all together now is the story of "Desde La Tierra Muerta", a story each team member passionately believes in.
CAST
Alejandra Herrera as Eleonora Romanni Vica as Vicente
(*See story page for bios)
ART DEPARTMENT HEADS
Mario Castro María Villalpando
(*See story page for bios)
1ST A.D.
Germán García Adrián
German García based in Mexico City, has worked as 1st AD, producer, director and sound recordist since 2009, has worked in multiple feature films, shortfilms and music videos in Mexico and Spain which include "Dios Nunca Muere"(2012), Sofia of Bucharest" (2013) "Los Muertos" (2014), "Perfecto's Dream" (2018) "Love Me Not" (2017), "Lumbre" (2019), "Time of Prophets"(2020), "Good Savage" (2020) among others.
-"I love Cinema, because we use a military system not for a destructive purpose, but for a creative one."-
PRODUCERS
Director
Julia R. Weisberg
(*See story page for statement)
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
AS OF OCTOBER 16, less than 48 hours into our campaign, WE MET 100% OF OUR GOAL!
We cannot thank you enough for all of your help. YOU made this possible with YOUR pledges, YOUR shares, and YOUR follows. Thank you!
BUT WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP!
As many indie filmmakers know, we budget for the bare-minimum of what we need to make the film actually happen. But these budgets are usually relying on favors, and honestly, luck. With the budget we have now, we are still extremely restricted. So many major decisions for our film are being made due to a lack of funds. That's why we are establishing the below stretch goals that will make THE WORLD OF DIFFERENCE TO OUR PRODUCTION! Not only will these stretch goals make for a better film, but it will ensure everyone on set is taken care of and provided with the necessary tools to excel in their positions!
- STRETCH GOAL #1: 1k (total of 11k goal). This amazing platform, Seed and Spark, takes 5% of raised funds. This stretch goal will help us keep our original goal of 10k.
- STRETCH GOAL #2: 3k (total of 13k goal). One of the most challenging parts of this film is the location. We have limited ourselves to only a few possible location options due to our budget. If we meet this goal it opens up our story to BOUNDLESS location possibilities. This will be HUGE in the creation of our world!
- SUPER STRETCH GOAL #3: 5K (total of 15k goal). This would not only allow us to give our cast and crew more comfortable lodging options BUT we will be able to give each department more funds to ensure they have access to best of the best tools, equipment, and hands! Then, if we are lucky, we may even be able to put some towards a post budget!
Again, we cannot express our gratitude for all of your support. Thank you for putting your faith in us and believing in us as storytellers. We promise to bring you something we truly love and cherish.
I reached a point about two years ago where I hoped to write more stories that married personal and intimate narratives with genre based pieces. Thus, the creation of Desde La Tierra Muerta. As a writer, I found no better place than the worlds of folklore and horror to explore and visualize the spirit of a young woman's struggle for control over her body and voice. There's a reason monsters in folklore and horror so often take the shape of the female figure: old women (meant to terrify) or young women (meant to seduce then lead to horrific death). Our story explores how a woman’s desire for self-discovery and agency contradicts society's natural order of the world. When a woman becomes self-aware she becomes a danger to the backbone of society. Or in the terms of horror, she becomes a monster.
(Concept art for Desde La Tierra Muerta by Fernando Mota)
In addition to the pressures of maintaining society's status quo, the spirit of this story comes from the endeavor to maintain the “correct way of being” in both the eyes of the highly conservative women that make up my family, and then, the very progressive women who I surround myself with today. Both of whom refer to their opposite group as monsters. With two starkly opposing forces pressing into me on either side, plus the added pressures of society mentioned above, I struggled to define my womanhood. I felt as though, no matter how I chose to live, I was betraying someone, whether that be society, other women, or myself. This film explores issues of morality and character through a woman’s desperation for self-authority. This story is meant to make us uncomfortable as we reflect on the ways in which we all participate and live in monstrosity. My hope is not to redefine the moral spheres of good and bad, in fact I implore you to forget these terms in relation to my story. Rather, my hope is to have us reconsider the term monster and bring to it a heightened perception of identity.
Our story is set in the 1600’s of New Spain and lives in the horror genre. Whether 400+ years ago, or in present day, women's bodies have been and continue to be one of the most litigated objects in human history. The point of setting this narrative so long ago is to show that this is a timeless story, one as old as time but still universally lived everyday.
As for the horror genre, what better world to explore the monstrosity of womanhood than the world of horror. We’ve packed a lot of metaphoric imagery into the script to bring a literal representation of feminine monstrosity.
Maria and Mario will give the world of Desde La Tierra Muerta memorable life through the curation of hand-made costumes, set dec, FX make-up, and character concepts. Under their direction, a skilled team of artists will create a historically accurate, visually stunning, and vividly terrifying experience for our viewers!
(Pictured above: short film, NAHJUM, directed by Manuel Del Valle and Sebastián Torres Green, and music video, El Cielo No Es De Nadie, directed by Manuel Del Valle)
Our Intended Audience
As mentioned in our video, above all else, this campaign is about connecting to our eventual and intended audience. Wondering if you're a part of this intended audience? If it were just up to me, I'd say no matter who you are, where you come from, or your taste in film, you are my intended audience. I am a firm believer that stories are meant for everyone, and that it's our duty to seek out and support all types of stories. Whether it's your lived experience or not, that doesn't mean you can't find your very own meaning in the narrative. With that said, I know we all have our preferences. To narrow it down, if part of the reason you watch movies, read books, or participate in any form of art, is to feel a sense of connection, reflection, or purpose, you are my intended audience. If you have ever felt voiceless, you are my intended audience. If you have ever made a terribly regretted mistake, or allowed your fatal flaw to define your life, you are my intended audience. All of which are the simple and basic mechanisms of what it means to be a person: every single one of us has experienced suffering and every single one of us has been the bearer of pain to others. These are the simple themes our film explores, and you are invited to explore what these themes mean in your life through our story. Therefore, just as important as your contributions, your commitment to follow the journey of this film and watch it upon its completion is the most important gift you can give.
I promise that we are putting absolutely everything we have into this story to ensure that it gets done. Fortunately, everything we have has totaled to half of the budget, now we're here to ask for your help in getting us to the finish line.
Here's how you can help:
CONTRIBUTE AND PLEDGE
-Contribute and pledge whatever works with your budget! We must raise at least 80% of our goal to keep the funds. Every dollar counts. This is a story that we all believe in wholeheartedly and have put so much work into, hopefully that's enough to inspire people to back it. But if you need a bit more convincing, it's almost halloween! What better way to celebrate halloween than by pledging whatever you can to aid the creation of a socially charged horror film! Don't forget to check out our incentive section! We have so much we want to give you for your support.
FOLLOW OUR CAMPAIGN
-Press that follow button on the top right corner! It's free and can earn us rewards through Seed&Spark that can be of great help in the future. It also will help you stay connected with us, which as I said, is what this film is all about.
SHARE OUR CAMPAIGN
-Spread the word with everyone you know! 10k is a lot of money as a whole, but if enough people are willing to contribute it's completely achievable. You can help by asking family, friends, co-workers and fellow filmmakers to visit this page and make a pledge, no matter how small. While the actual value of each pledge may vary, each one represents the same amount of support and gratitude to us! One of the best ways to reach as many people as possible is by sharing our campaign on your social media platforms!
We know sometimes thinking of what to say can be hard. Feel free to copy and paste the below examples on your stories, statuses, and posts!
Help filmmaker @juliathecatladyy by supporting her film: Desde La Tierra Muerta, a socially charged horror film that explores the impact of societal pressures placed on young women. Support them on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
I'm so excited for @juliathecatladyy and her whole team as they approach production for their upcoming short film Desde La Tierra Muerta. Support their journey on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
@juliathecatladyy and her team have been hard at work on the creation of their next film Desde La Tierra Muerta, shooting in Mexico this winter! I can't wait to see what this team of filmmakers puts together for us. Join their story on @seedandspark: https://seedandspark.com/fund/desde-la-tierra-muerta#story
Thank you again for all of your support, we can't do it without you.
Video credits: Animation by André Comtois & Score by Francois Comtois, Narrator our very own Alejandra Herrera.
Special thanks to Evidence Cameras and the whole Evidence team.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Actors
Costs $1,000
This is a heavy script, we need the best of the best actors to bring it to life.
Art Department
Costs $2,000
Due to the film being both a horror and period piece, art direction is key for world building.
Location
Costs $1,000
"Desde La Tierra Muerta" means "of the Dead Earth", *Hint* Land plays a huge role in our story.
Camera Rental
Costs $2,000
Help us provide the tools our incredible camera team needs to make this film visually beautiful!
Food and Accommodations
Costs $2,000
Believe it or not, this is usually the most expensive (and most important) part of moviemaking!
Production Sound
Costs $1,000
This isn't just a visual medium, sound is essential in establishing world, mood, and story!
G&E
Costs $1,000
This film has a lot of night exteriors, we need powerful and industrial lights to make it work!
Share this update!
About This Team
We are a team of diverse filmmakers located in CDMX, Mexico, and Los Angeles, CA. Our team's talents range from an array of specified filmmaking components (screenwriting, art department, cinematography, sound, producing, acting, etc). Each us has dedicated our lives to these named fields, bringing a level of great care and respect to each element of filmmaking. Our mission is to bring together multiple voices and perspectives in a safe space where we celebrate all creative ideas. What brings us all together now is the story of "Desde La Tierra Muerta", a story each team member passionately believes in.
CAST
Alejandra Herrera as Eleonora Romanni Vica as Vicente
(*See story page for bios)
ART DEPARTMENT HEADS
Mario Castro María Villalpando
(*See story page for bios)
1ST A.D.
Germán García Adrián
German García based in Mexico City, has worked as 1st AD, producer, director and sound recordist since 2009, has worked in multiple feature films, shortfilms and music videos in Mexico and Spain which include "Dios Nunca Muere"(2012), Sofia of Bucharest" (2013) "Los Muertos" (2014), "Perfecto's Dream" (2018) "Love Me Not" (2017), "Lumbre" (2019), "Time of Prophets"(2020), "Good Savage" (2020) among others.
-"I love Cinema, because we use a military system not for a destructive purpose, but for a creative one."-
PRODUCERS
Director
Julia R. Weisberg
(*See story page for statement)