Logline:

In a familiar world, a romance between two women on a dig site blooms. An excavator and an archaeologist; one who carries a hidden motive…

Maxine is a hardworking woman who has faced much criticism for her independence and yearning to learn. Constantly being pushed to find a man and settle down, she refuses. Maxine has never really been into men. She has persevered to instead work on her first dig site. She catalogs everything in a journal given to her by her late father, captivated only by her passion for history. That was, until her run-in with a woman known as Julia.

Julia is an Indigenous woman from the Shawnee Nation. With her nation, she takes pride in speaking out against the colonization of their home. Constantly, she was reminded not to make any rash decisions, as many of her relatives have been killed by these groups. However, archaeologists had set up a dig site on her nation's land, digging through their history. She decided she wouldn't stand for it. If they were going to steal from her, she would go undercover and steal back what she could. So she goes undercover… as an excavator. 

From here, our two characters and their vast stories collide...

On the Dig site, Julia works hard to unearth whatever she can for her people. Finally, she stumbles upon a single old pottery shard. After hiding it from her boss, Ronnie, she discovers there may be someone here who has more of the artifacts. Heading over to the tent, she meets Maxine, who is cataloging the same pottery shards. Maxine is thrilled to have found someone who cares just as deeply as she does… and notices Julia's beauty. Julia flirts with her; she manages to convince Maxine to show her the key to the box and where it was hidden. That night, Julia sneaks out with all the shards, only to be caught by Maxine. That is where the true story comes to light for everyone. They argue: who does history belong to?

From our Director, Estee Kiel:

"As a queer filmmaker, this is important because it tells a story utilizing intersectionality to understand experiences and history that are slipping away from many of us. Right now, the importance of empathy in this shared world of ours is essential to our communities. With threats to so many minorities, the preservation of our stories is integral to the survival of diverse cultures...

I’ve questioned many times throughout this process if I was the right person to tell this story. I wrote this screenplay to call attention to what I was seeing in society. In it, I noticed a lack of respect for history, the Nations, and Indigenous peoples in general. I will ensure my research is thorough, continue to reach out to others, and take feedback with an open heart. With this in mind, I will bring this story into existence with the help of my talented cast and crew.

I was asked many times, “Did this really happen?” “Why focus on dig sites? There are so many other things that had no positive effect?” That solidified my need to talk about it even more. The winners are never the bad guys in the eyes of the world. This story pushes back against that and opens up new discussions for its audiences."

These 3 topics are more important now than ever, especially with today's growing tensions and political climate.

• The shrinking protection of Indigenous Lands. (Ex: Bears Ears in Utah)

• ICE’s continued suppression and arrest of Indigenous Peoples.

• LGBTQ community struggles with acceptance.

DIG's message is more than just a short film; it's a statement, a call for change, one that its audience strives for.

Most of our crew comes from the University of North Texas, comprising both Alumni and current students. Several of us have had the pleasure of volunteering together on various other film projects and are looking forward to coming together to bring DIG to life. We couldn’t be more grateful to share the experience with you all!

We are currently in pre-production, ensuring everything is in order to get filmed from late October through November. Editing will be completed throughout the year, gearing up to be submitted to festivals in 2027.

As we've mentioned before, we have a talented crew working on this project out of passion for it. If we reach our goal or more, we will be able to provide the cast and crew with meals, props, gas/milage reinbursment, and more!

We’re all college students and new alumni, so we understand how the large ask of you all with the pledge. Even if you are not able to donate, please continue to follow our story. Share this story and its mission. Together, let's bring this story into reality.

By creating this story, we are speaking up for what we have seen. We are recalling our past, fighting to change it so it doesn’t repeat itself. We are standing up for more than just ourselves.

Note: The private view link will be provided to everyone who donates, no matter how big or small. All you will need to do is send an email request! We want to ensure that you all get to see what you have contributed to.