Love & Lazarite
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Romance
After deadly life forms take humanity prisoner, three escapees take shelter on the run, and vie for the power of a mysterious stone. Selfishness and greed have no place in human connection. LOVE & LAZARITE pits toxic masculinity versus empathy in a concise and riveting context.
Love & Lazarite
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Sci-Fi, Romance
1 Campaigns | California, United States
52 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$6,330
Goal: $15,555 for pre-production
After deadly life forms take humanity prisoner, three escapees take shelter on the run, and vie for the power of a mysterious stone. Selfishness and greed have no place in human connection. LOVE & LAZARITE pits toxic masculinity versus empathy in a concise and riveting context.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Love & Lazarite is a sci-fi/action love triangle short that’ll give you whiplash. The driving theme? Empathy triumphs over toxic masculinity, and love is worth the ultimate sacrifice.
This film takes place in 2035, on a war-torn Earth. We never see any aliens, spaceships, or laser guns in the movie; the worldbuilding is heavily painted by audio cues.
.jpg)
Our hero is HELENA (30s). She keeps a rough exterior to protect her vulnerable need to love and be loved. After decades of captive-bolt stunning livestock in her family’s slaughterhouse, she hates senseless killing and has a strong sense of justice...despite staying in an abusive relationship with Oscar for years before the invasion. She meets Tristan in a prison camp six months prior to the present moment, causing her bitter worldview to slowly change.
TRISTAN (20s) is Helena’s partner. Think Bowe Bergdahl or Desmond Doss—young soldier who survived the failed battle for Earth, but is fundamentally opposed to violence. He doesn’t follow authority if their logic is flawed, and he tends to get into high conflict situations a little too easily with this mindset; acts on short term impulse rather than long term foresight. Loves Helena beyond life itself.
OSCAR (30s), our antagonist, was an ER doctor pre-invasion, fired due to reckless behavior and violation of the Hippocratic oath. Enjoys others’ suffering as a way to cope with his own self-hatred as a bipolar, alcoholic narcissist. Met Helena ten years ago, before his mental illnesses reached their peak. He self-medicates out of shame, given his background in the medical world. His anger is driven by a strong sense of this shame, because he wants the same thing Helena does—to love and be loved, deeply. But he recognizes that, with the vile state he has sunk himself into, there is very little hope for him to get what he desires.
Each character is implanted with an alien BRANDING SYMBOL on their cheekbone that tracks their whereabouts.
The SETTING is an abandoned restaurant, left largely intact post-invasion; save for the dropcloths and dead plants, it seems like the patrons just disappeared into thin air. It feels familiar, not unlike the favorite dinner spots that we’re used to here in 2024.
Now for some lore—
Rumors circulate about a mythical LAZARITE STONE, a healing crystal that brings the dead back to life, but there’s a catch—it completely WIPES THEIR MEMORY in the process. These stones are rare, and most people don’t believe in them; or at least don’t believe that they work.
With that in mind, let’s FADE IN:
Strange sounds from alien weaponry echo in the distance. HELENA, TRISTAN and OSCAR all duck into an ABANDONED RESTAURANT, so close to making it out of the warzone—
—only problem is that Tristan’s BLEEDING TO DEATH. He took a bullet to the chest from shielding Helena, and she’ll do anything to save him.
The twist: Oscar has a LAZARITE STONE on a chain. He’s been keeping it a secret this whole time, and once Helena finds out about it, a FIGHT ensues. Meanwhile, Tristan is FADING...until he dies in Helena’s arms.
Enraged, Helena asks Oscar what it’ll take to get the Lazarite and bring Tristan back to life. Oscar asks Helena to confess that she really did love him when they were together. Something turns in him, and he HANDS OVER THE LAZARITE.
Oscar insists that Tristan won’t remember Helena when he wakes up. But she believes he will.
Helena puts it around Tristan’s neck, it starts to GLOW, the blood seeps back into Tristan’s chest, and he WAKES UP! It’s a jubilant moment, Tristan confused but alive, until BLAM! Oscar shoots Helena. Then, he puts the pistol to his temple and kills himself.
Tristan, brain totally offline, rolls Helena over—SHE’S ALIVE, bullet wound tearing through her jaw. She can’t speak—she can only whimper, begging with her eyes to see if Tristan remembers. But there’s no recognition on his face.
Suddenly, a POUNDING at the door jolts him. Helena reaches to him, cries out, trying to gesture not to open the door—but he opens it.
Another PRISONER urges him out, they have to get out of there RIGHT NOW while the barricade is down. Prisoner asks Tristan if he knows the bleeding woman on the floor. They can’t take injuries: too slow.
Tristan wracks his brain...Helena pleads wordlessly...but nothing. Prisoner yanks Tristan away and leaves Helena gurgling on the floor.
Outside the restaurant, Tristan runs amongst a blur of OTHER PRISONERS around him...
Until it clicks. Helena.
Tristan whips around and we SMASH TO BLACK.
Since this short is proof of concept for a feature film, let’s indulge for a moment in our OVER-CREDITS SCENE...
Oscar lies dead on the floor. A clicking, humming noise offscreen, the voice of some kind of CREATURE...as a DRIPPING ALIEN FIGURE enters frame, out of focus. They reach a clawed hand toward Oscar...and loop a LAZARITE STONE around his neck.
Key thematic takeaways for the audience:
Empathy, compassion and selflessness transcends logic or what’s ‘supposed’ to happen. Nothing is a death sentence. Question the status quo and don’t let poisonous systems of power crush your beliefs. Have faith in the impossible; don’t let the most awful of circumstances smother your hope.
I wrote Love & Lazarite after my mom, Kathi, died of cancer in August 2023, because the idea of bringing the dead back to life was comforting to me. She was first diagnosed when I was fifteen years old, and went on to live with stage four lung cancer for ten years. My sheer desperation to find some sort of control over her random, fatal diagnosis has shaped my storytelling since I was a freshman in high school. So, I’m making this film in part to help process my grief. While Love & Lazarite will be my first film that she will never see, my soul walks beside her through every step of the way.
Love & Lazarite is a direct response to the disconnection and empathy crisis we face in our modern world. Tying this back to my inspiration, my mom's radical, unconditional empathy is perhaps the strongest legacy she leaves behind. Kathi always took time to engineer happiness throughout her life, and constantly ideated on how to make strangers smile. For example, when I was little, she would string together beads around a seashell, in which she wrote “You Are Loved.” She would craft these little talismans and hand them out to folks at drive-through windows, grocery clerks, and postal workers. She didn’t expect anything out of it, she just wanted to spread genuine love. This sweetness is so rare, and I strive to cultivate this level of human kindness with Love & Lazarite—through the story, and on the set.
The audience is there. The next step? We need to show the "powers that be" that queer, sci-fi filmmakers are out here, hustling and making art, and we can make impactful films that connect humans on incredible new levels.
Our proposed budget is $15,555. We need your help to pay our cast and crew, cover locations, gear, and editing, and get us launched for the film festival circuit once post-production is complete.
This intense and ambitious film is going to take support, time and a group of dedicated humans to create. And that means yes, we need funding—but that's not the only way you can be a part of this adventure! We invite ALL of you to join us!
You can help us in three ways:
DONATE: This is the most direct way that you can become one of our favorite people, and become part of our filmmaking family. We really tried to get in your head and come up with incentives that we think you will love! Our deepest gratitude for supporting innovative filmmakers and artists!
FOLLOW: Follow us at @love_lazarite on all platforms so we can connect with YOU as we journey to create this film together!
SHARE: It's 2024. We all know how crucial social media presence is in getting a new project green-lit. By sharing with your friends, family, coworkers, and community as a whole, you help this important story reach networks that we wouldn't be able to tap otherwise. You’re also playing a crucial part in SHARING THE STORY, even before the film is made.
THANK YOU for supporting independent cinema! We look forward to connecting with you on our journey to make this movie a reality.
Now, feel free to peruse our LOOKBOOK...
...Some images that reflect the visual style of the film.
Thanks for visiting our project page! We appreciate your support. *All donations are tax-deductible.*
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
ARRI Alexa Mini Package Rental & Additional Gear
Costs $2,055
The ARRI Alexa Mini is a fabulous camera and marks the industry standard for the polished, luscious tonality we want for this film.
Pay Our Crew!!!
Costs $4,800
We want to pay every member of our crew. Help us realize our goal of paying our collaborators a generous rate for their work!
Pay Our Cast!!!
Costs $1,800
Help us pay our cast for lending their talents to this story.
Post Production
Costs $2,500
The cost of editing, sound design, mixing, mastering and color correction is high. We want to hire state of the art editors for this movie.
Locations & Production Design
Costs $1,200
We will be renting a space to shoot, and will need to dress the set to look like an abandoned, futuristic restaurant.
Insurance, Food, Fringes
Costs $3,200
Safety is paramount on this shoot, so production insurance is a must. We also want to feed our team well and account for additional costs.
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CREW
Krí Schafer (they/them) is a non-binary screenwriter and director from rural North Carolina, based in Los Angeles. A recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Television award, Krí writes about healing from grief, merging sci-fi with love stories. After enduring their share of abuse as a camera operator in far too many destructive filmmaking environments, they are creating LOVE & LAZARITE with the mission to make healthy, safe, & fulfilling collaborative projects the baseline norm in the film industry.
Donovan Watson (he/him) is a film producer with five years industry experience, specializing in narrative film and television productions. He possesses a deep understanding of production, and what it takes to bring an idea from concept to fruition. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, communication and creating an engaging atmosphere, Donovan is dedicated to delivering high-quality projects.
Kelvin Kataria (he/him) is a Peruvian-Indian Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. Kelvin is a huge proponent of prep and commitment to the story, as opposed to focusing on beautiful visuals alone. With over five years working as a DP, and in the Camera and Grip & Electric departments on feature films, Kelvin has applied his knowledge to communicate clearly to his technical teams. Kelvin has primarily shot in the horror / thriller genre, and intends to bring a tense and enthralling atmosphere to LOVE & LAZARITE!
THE CAST
Brittany Belt (she/her) is leading the cast as HELENA! She is an experienced stunt performer and actress, with a long list of credits ranging from television to feature films, across all genres.
Dikenna Ogbo (he/him) is playing TRISTAN! An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and actor both on stage and screen, Dikenna is a long-time collaborator on Krí's projects. He is excited to join the vision in this new groundbreaking film!
Kot Takahashi (he/him) will be playing the role of OSCAR! Kot is a lifelong artist devoted to the magic of storytelling. In addition to acting in countless films, musicals, and commercials, he has served as the Artistic director to the Redwood Theatre company based in Healdsburg, California, as well as directed, and taught acting to children and adults with developmental disabilities. He works every day to better himself as an artist and work on the wonderful craft of performance.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Love & Lazarite is a sci-fi/action love triangle short that’ll give you whiplash. The driving theme? Empathy triumphs over toxic masculinity, and love is worth the ultimate sacrifice.
This film takes place in 2035, on a war-torn Earth. We never see any aliens, spaceships, or laser guns in the movie; the worldbuilding is heavily painted by audio cues.
Our hero is HELENA (30s). She keeps a rough exterior to protect her vulnerable need to love and be loved. After decades of captive-bolt stunning livestock in her family’s slaughterhouse, she hates senseless killing and has a strong sense of justice...despite staying in an abusive relationship with Oscar for years before the invasion. She meets Tristan in a prison camp six months prior to the present moment, causing her bitter worldview to slowly change.
TRISTAN (20s) is Helena’s partner. Think Bowe Bergdahl or Desmond Doss—young soldier who survived the failed battle for Earth, but is fundamentally opposed to violence. He doesn’t follow authority if their logic is flawed, and he tends to get into high conflict situations a little too easily with this mindset; acts on short term impulse rather than long term foresight. Loves Helena beyond life itself.
OSCAR (30s), our antagonist, was an ER doctor pre-invasion, fired due to reckless behavior and violation of the Hippocratic oath. Enjoys others’ suffering as a way to cope with his own self-hatred as a bipolar, alcoholic narcissist. Met Helena ten years ago, before his mental illnesses reached their peak. He self-medicates out of shame, given his background in the medical world. His anger is driven by a strong sense of this shame, because he wants the same thing Helena does—to love and be loved, deeply. But he recognizes that, with the vile state he has sunk himself into, there is very little hope for him to get what he desires.
Each character is implanted with an alien BRANDING SYMBOL on their cheekbone that tracks their whereabouts.
The SETTING is an abandoned restaurant, left largely intact post-invasion; save for the dropcloths and dead plants, it seems like the patrons just disappeared into thin air. It feels familiar, not unlike the favorite dinner spots that we’re used to here in 2024.
Now for some lore—
Rumors circulate about a mythical LAZARITE STONE, a healing crystal that brings the dead back to life, but there’s a catch—it completely WIPES THEIR MEMORY in the process. These stones are rare, and most people don’t believe in them; or at least don’t believe that they work.
With that in mind, let’s FADE IN:
Strange sounds from alien weaponry echo in the distance. HELENA, TRISTAN and OSCAR all duck into an ABANDONED RESTAURANT, so close to making it out of the warzone—
—only problem is that Tristan’s BLEEDING TO DEATH. He took a bullet to the chest from shielding Helena, and she’ll do anything to save him.
The twist: Oscar has a LAZARITE STONE on a chain. He’s been keeping it a secret this whole time, and once Helena finds out about it, a FIGHT ensues. Meanwhile, Tristan is FADING...until he dies in Helena’s arms.
Enraged, Helena asks Oscar what it’ll take to get the Lazarite and bring Tristan back to life. Oscar asks Helena to confess that she really did love him when they were together. Something turns in him, and he HANDS OVER THE LAZARITE.
Oscar insists that Tristan won’t remember Helena when he wakes up. But she believes he will.
Helena puts it around Tristan’s neck, it starts to GLOW, the blood seeps back into Tristan’s chest, and he WAKES UP! It’s a jubilant moment, Tristan confused but alive, until BLAM! Oscar shoots Helena. Then, he puts the pistol to his temple and kills himself.
Tristan, brain totally offline, rolls Helena over—SHE’S ALIVE, bullet wound tearing through her jaw. She can’t speak—she can only whimper, begging with her eyes to see if Tristan remembers. But there’s no recognition on his face.
Suddenly, a POUNDING at the door jolts him. Helena reaches to him, cries out, trying to gesture not to open the door—but he opens it.
Another PRISONER urges him out, they have to get out of there RIGHT NOW while the barricade is down. Prisoner asks Tristan if he knows the bleeding woman on the floor. They can’t take injuries: too slow.
Tristan wracks his brain...Helena pleads wordlessly...but nothing. Prisoner yanks Tristan away and leaves Helena gurgling on the floor.
Outside the restaurant, Tristan runs amongst a blur of OTHER PRISONERS around him...
Until it clicks. Helena.
Tristan whips around and we SMASH TO BLACK.
Since this short is proof of concept for a feature film, let’s indulge for a moment in our OVER-CREDITS SCENE...
Oscar lies dead on the floor. A clicking, humming noise offscreen, the voice of some kind of CREATURE...as a DRIPPING ALIEN FIGURE enters frame, out of focus. They reach a clawed hand toward Oscar...and loop a LAZARITE STONE around his neck.
Key thematic takeaways for the audience:
Empathy, compassion and selflessness transcends logic or what’s ‘supposed’ to happen. Nothing is a death sentence. Question the status quo and don’t let poisonous systems of power crush your beliefs. Have faith in the impossible; don’t let the most awful of circumstances smother your hope.
I wrote Love & Lazarite after my mom, Kathi, died of cancer in August 2023, because the idea of bringing the dead back to life was comforting to me. She was first diagnosed when I was fifteen years old, and went on to live with stage four lung cancer for ten years. My sheer desperation to find some sort of control over her random, fatal diagnosis has shaped my storytelling since I was a freshman in high school. So, I’m making this film in part to help process my grief. While Love & Lazarite will be my first film that she will never see, my soul walks beside her through every step of the way.
Love & Lazarite is a direct response to the disconnection and empathy crisis we face in our modern world. Tying this back to my inspiration, my mom's radical, unconditional empathy is perhaps the strongest legacy she leaves behind. Kathi always took time to engineer happiness throughout her life, and constantly ideated on how to make strangers smile. For example, when I was little, she would string together beads around a seashell, in which she wrote “You Are Loved.” She would craft these little talismans and hand them out to folks at drive-through windows, grocery clerks, and postal workers. She didn’t expect anything out of it, she just wanted to spread genuine love. This sweetness is so rare, and I strive to cultivate this level of human kindness with Love & Lazarite—through the story, and on the set.
The audience is there. The next step? We need to show the "powers that be" that queer, sci-fi filmmakers are out here, hustling and making art, and we can make impactful films that connect humans on incredible new levels.
Our proposed budget is $15,555. We need your help to pay our cast and crew, cover locations, gear, and editing, and get us launched for the film festival circuit once post-production is complete.
This intense and ambitious film is going to take support, time and a group of dedicated humans to create. And that means yes, we need funding—but that's not the only way you can be a part of this adventure! We invite ALL of you to join us!
You can help us in three ways:
DONATE: This is the most direct way that you can become one of our favorite people, and become part of our filmmaking family. We really tried to get in your head and come up with incentives that we think you will love! Our deepest gratitude for supporting innovative filmmakers and artists!
FOLLOW: Follow us at @love_lazarite on all platforms so we can connect with YOU as we journey to create this film together!
SHARE: It's 2024. We all know how crucial social media presence is in getting a new project green-lit. By sharing with your friends, family, coworkers, and community as a whole, you help this important story reach networks that we wouldn't be able to tap otherwise. You’re also playing a crucial part in SHARING THE STORY, even before the film is made.
THANK YOU for supporting independent cinema! We look forward to connecting with you on our journey to make this movie a reality.
Now, feel free to peruse our LOOKBOOK...
...Some images that reflect the visual style of the film.
Thanks for visiting our project page! We appreciate your support. *All donations are tax-deductible.*
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
ARRI Alexa Mini Package Rental & Additional Gear
Costs $2,055
The ARRI Alexa Mini is a fabulous camera and marks the industry standard for the polished, luscious tonality we want for this film.
Pay Our Crew!!!
Costs $4,800
We want to pay every member of our crew. Help us realize our goal of paying our collaborators a generous rate for their work!
Pay Our Cast!!!
Costs $1,800
Help us pay our cast for lending their talents to this story.
Post Production
Costs $2,500
The cost of editing, sound design, mixing, mastering and color correction is high. We want to hire state of the art editors for this movie.
Locations & Production Design
Costs $1,200
We will be renting a space to shoot, and will need to dress the set to look like an abandoned, futuristic restaurant.
Insurance, Food, Fringes
Costs $3,200
Safety is paramount on this shoot, so production insurance is a must. We also want to feed our team well and account for additional costs.
Share this update!
About This Team
THE CREW
Krí Schafer (they/them) is a non-binary screenwriter and director from rural North Carolina, based in Los Angeles. A recipient of the prestigious North Carolina Television award, Krí writes about healing from grief, merging sci-fi with love stories. After enduring their share of abuse as a camera operator in far too many destructive filmmaking environments, they are creating LOVE & LAZARITE with the mission to make healthy, safe, & fulfilling collaborative projects the baseline norm in the film industry.
Donovan Watson (he/him) is a film producer with five years industry experience, specializing in narrative film and television productions. He possesses a deep understanding of production, and what it takes to bring an idea from concept to fruition. With a strong emphasis on collaboration, communication and creating an engaging atmosphere, Donovan is dedicated to delivering high-quality projects.
Kelvin Kataria (he/him) is a Peruvian-Indian Director of Photography based in Los Angeles. Kelvin is a huge proponent of prep and commitment to the story, as opposed to focusing on beautiful visuals alone. With over five years working as a DP, and in the Camera and Grip & Electric departments on feature films, Kelvin has applied his knowledge to communicate clearly to his technical teams. Kelvin has primarily shot in the horror / thriller genre, and intends to bring a tense and enthralling atmosphere to LOVE & LAZARITE!
THE CAST
Brittany Belt (she/her) is leading the cast as HELENA! She is an experienced stunt performer and actress, with a long list of credits ranging from television to feature films, across all genres.
Dikenna Ogbo (he/him) is playing TRISTAN! An accomplished dancer, choreographer, and actor both on stage and screen, Dikenna is a long-time collaborator on Krí's projects. He is excited to join the vision in this new groundbreaking film!
Kot Takahashi (he/him) will be playing the role of OSCAR! Kot is a lifelong artist devoted to the magic of storytelling. In addition to acting in countless films, musicals, and commercials, he has served as the Artistic director to the Redwood Theatre company based in Healdsburg, California, as well as directed, and taught acting to children and adults with developmental disabilities. He works every day to better himself as an artist and work on the wonderful craft of performance.