"Suddenly his eyes glaze over and Henry detaches from his reality. Devoid of emotion, he walks away, leaving his cubicle behind.”

Henry (31M) suddenly walks out of his own life and responsibilities when the stressors and pressures of everyday life send him into a fugue state.

Dissociative fugue: is a rare subtype of dissociative amnesia where a person experiences sudden, unexpected travel or bewildered wandering away from home or work.

Henry’s strange journey begins when he travels straight to the heart of Los Angeles. During his wanderings Henry finds himself in precarious situations and places that only feel consistent with a version of himself stripped from identity. Despite this he still feels motivated to keep on moving. His movements seems steadfast, but the motivation is unclear.

Throughout his travels, our story is interwoven with memory fragment vignettes of past moments with his longtime girlfriend, Jane (30F).

Jane is Henry’s garden, surrounded by a world that seems to be on fire. She represents security, and is a foundational constant in his life. Over time, and before the fugue state, Henry becomes distant from her as he starts to become more detached from the world and his place in it. What happens when you begin to slip from your foundation? Where does your mind escape to when everything becomes too much?

These vignettes serve to contrast his current predicament by showing happy, early moments of their relationship, but also darker more disconnected moments that highlight the fractured mental state that led to the fugue state.

How long has Henry been missing for? In every new scene in the fugue state, Henry looks noticeably different. His beard slightly longer, his clothes more tattered and dirty. This serves to play with the notion of how much time has passed. Has he been gone for weeks, months, a year? Not fully knowing further highlights his fractured mental state.

The visual language of the film plays a very key role contrasting the different mental states of our protagonist.

Everything shot within the fugue state will be shot on 16mm film. This will provide a textured hazy feel to match the version of Henry that is stripped from identity. Camera movements will often be handheld, and will have a much more organic and frenetic energy to them.

All scenes shot outside of the fugue state will be shot digitally and will have a much more polished and clean look to them. Camera movements will be more precise whether it be with dolly, steadicam, or static shots. This will contrast the 16mm shots to provide a grounded feeling to show Henry's state of mind in a more controlled environment.

This will achieve a short film that is dedicated to intentional visual storytelling that serves the story above all else.

This film matters because overall it highlights the need for nurturing of relationships and healthy communication. So often the oppressive external factors we can't control can be too much to bare, so where does the mind escape to when it all becomes too much?

The fugue state is a form of medical escapism that is manifested by the unresolved things in Henry's life. While heightened and dramatized, this is something almost anyone can relate to living in the modern world. Whether it be because of a job that beats you down, a media landscape that feels incoherent, or a political regime devoid of morality, navigating all of this requires a core foundation that keeps you grounded and makes you feel like you belong.

The fugue state represents a complete disassociation from the world at large, and where we belong in it. So many times in life we find ourselves feeling disconnected from a world that is getting harder to recognize, but the constants that bring us back to a sense of normalcy are loved ones and a strong sense of community that you can experience life with on your own terms.

Sean Martens is a Southern Californian native who is very passionate about perusing a career in filmmaking. Originally studying Graphic Design and Studio Photography, Sean made the pivot after college to pursue film where his knowledge of framing and composition felt nicely transferable. After working 3 years at Panavision Woodland Hills, he took his knowledge of camera systems and applied it to focusing on directing with a visual emphasis.

This will mark Sean's 3rd film after making Rental in 2024, and The Comedian in 2025. With Fugue he plans to continue to hone his skills as a filmmaker, and a storyteller.

Supporting Fugue means supporting young independent filmmakers who don't take short cuts, and are truly invested in the craft of making films from the ground up. Sean believes that creating art should be difficult, and is inherently a human pursuit, which is why he is staunchly against generative ai in any part of the creative process.

Supporting our project means contributing to many different facets of the filmmaking process. It means contributing to pre-production, production, and post production. This is a long journey that requires us to jump through many hoops to reach our final goal of completing the project, and getting eye balls on it.

From every moment after the completion of the script, the vision needs to be translated through many different channels and talented individuals to bring the film to life to the best of our ability. This requires adequate pay for cast and crew, and an adequate set for them to work in.

Every single cent of the funds raised will go towards a project that we are very proud of so far, and a project that we will be proud to share with all of you upon completion. Every bit counts and we are so grateful, thank you!