Misunderstood by her traditional Iranian father and underestimated by her punk band, a teenage drummer snaps and goes ROGUE. Help us bring this story about being caught between two identities and having the guts to prove one’s worth to the world to the big screen!
Misunderstood by her traditional Iranian father and underestimated by her punk band, a teenage drummer snaps and goes ROGUE. Help us bring this story about being caught between two identities and having the guts to prove one’s worth to the world to the big screen!
-
Story
Mission Statement
Told by a diverse team of young filmmakers, including a female director and a half-Iranian female writer, this coming-of-age story depicts Iranian culture, punk subculture, and the struggles of the immigrant experience - all while following a woman protagonist.About The Project
SYNOPSIS
It’s 1984. Ro Shirazi (18) listens to punk music through a Walkman, while her father Davood (53), insists on playing a recording of a younger Ro playing the tonbak (Iranian hand drum). He drills her about her academic expectations before dropping her off at a friend’s house for a study group. Ro enters, only to reveal that this is not a study group, but a practice session for a punk band called Heatstroke. Ro adjusts the drum set and briefly showcases her drumming talent before working up the nerve to ask Glenn (21), the frontman, if she can drum on one song at their gig that night. Kent (23), the abrasive drummer, becomes hostile to the idea and accuses her of being a poser. Ro launches into a tirade in which she cuts and dyes her hair blue to try and make herself “punk enough” for the band. Glenn and Anthony (19), the bassist, try to reason with her, but she storms out and skateboards off
In a traditionally-styled Iranian-American home, a rage-fueled Ro barges into the Shirazi family’s dinner and debuts her new look, much to the shock of her mother Shiva (40), and sister Fatima (20). Ro defies a furious Davood’s authority by standing up for her right to express herself and calling him out for being oppressive. Ro make a statement and disappears out the front door into the night. Davood finds a crumpled flyer that has fallen out of Ro’s pocket, detailing the location of the gig that night, and goes after her.
Ro gets to the venue where Heatstroke is playing and weaves through the rowdy mass of punks. She gets caught in the mosh pit and has a run-in with a group of menacing Skinheads. With the help of a Spiked-Hair Punk, Ro fends them off and climbs onstage just as Heatstroke is about to play. She demands again that they let her drum. The crowd chants in Ro’s favor, pressuring Kent to surrender the drums to Ro. At last, this is Ro’s chance to prove herself - but does she actually have what it takes?
WHY THIS STORY MATTERS
This project is unique because of the time, place, and perspective it is being told from. Not only does the story capture a niche moment in history where punk sprouted in the Northern California suburbs, but it also tells it from a Iranian-American teenage girl’s perspective, under the direction of women behind the camera. Our protagonist’s story is based off of the writer Ariana Skeeland’s mother, who immigrated to the Bay Area in the early eighties at the age of sixteen following the Iranian Revolution. Ariana also loves punk music, which was growing increasingly prominent in Northern California at this time. Ariana thus became inspired to write a film where her culture and her mother’s immigrant experience would coincide with her appreciation of punk.
At its core, Rogue is a coming of age film that deals with the multifaceted nature of figuring out one’s own identity while caught between two different cultures. The director, Lina Larson, is a first-generation immigrant herself and understands the complexities of balancing parental expectations and American cultural attitudes that oftentimes conflict. The Iranian part of the story is informed by Ariana’s half-Iranian upbringing, through which she understands the customs, culture, ideology, and attitudes, and therefore brings an authentic perspective to the film. Iranian culture is seldom depicted in mainstream film and television, so this short film will contribute to the effort to tell diverse stories in the cinematic medium.
The other half of Rogue’s story follows Ro, the protagonist, as an underdog in a boy’s club, trying to prove her drumming ability to the community she desperately wants to be part of. The music industry is primarily dominated by men, especially in the rock and punk genres. This is a rare and incredibly empowering opportunity to follow a female protagonist in this world, which is what the director, Lina, is so drawn to. This film is made even more unique simply because it depicts a female drummer showcasing her raw talent live within a layered narrative story, making this an indie epic that will get the audience’s blood pumping full of adrenaline. The female writers, producers, and director can relate to the struggle of trying to break into and gain respect in a predominantly male industry, thus making Ro’s journey even more personal to the women involved in the execution of this story.
All in all, this story benefits society because it is told from the viewpoint of a female lead, it showcases the historically underrepresented Iranian culture, it explores the what it means to be a female drummer in a male-dominated punk community, it demonstrates both rebellion and understanding, it illustrates a complicated father-daughter relationship, and it captures the immigrant experience, all in an ultimately uplifting way through themes that ring as true today as they did back in 1984.
Incentives
$10
Thank You!
Thank you so much for contributing! We are extremely grateful and couldn't make this project without you!
$25
Shout Out!
You get a special SHOUT OUT on social media!
$50
Digital Poster
You get a DIGITAL COPY OF THE POSTER!
$75
Film Link
You get a LINK TO THE FINAL FILM!
*and lower level incentives
$100
Special Thanks
You get a SPECIAL THANKS CREDIT in the film!
*and lower level incentives
$150
Script
You get a DIGITAL COPY OF THE SCRIPT!
*And lower level incentives
$500
Persian-Punk Music
You get special MUSIC FROM THE FILM! created by our amazing composer Pavel.
*and lower level incentives
$1,000
Associate Producer
You get an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER CREDIT
*and lower level incentives
$3,000
Executive Producer
You get a EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDIT!
Come spend a day with us on set! Transportation within LA paid for by production.
*and lower level incentives
-
Wishlist
Use the WishList to pledge cash and loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an incentive directly.
$10
Thank You!
Thank you so much for contributing! We are extremely grateful and couldn't make this project without you!
$25
Shout Out!
You get a special SHOUT OUT on social media!
$50
Digital Poster
You get a DIGITAL COPY OF THE POSTER!
$75
Film Link
You get a LINK TO THE FINAL FILM!
*and lower level incentives
$100
Special Thanks
You get a SPECIAL THANKS CREDIT in the film!
*and lower level incentives
$150
Script
You get a DIGITAL COPY OF THE SCRIPT!
*And lower level incentives
$500
Persian-Punk Music
You get special MUSIC FROM THE FILM! created by our amazing composer Pavel.
*and lower level incentives
$1,000
Associate Producer
You get an ASSOCIATE PRODUCER CREDIT
*and lower level incentives
$3,000
Executive Producer
You get a EXECUTIVE PRODUCER CREDIT!
Come spend a day with us on set! Transportation within LA paid for by production.
*and lower level incentives
- Updates
-
Current Team
About This Team
Our team is made up of film students from Loyola Marymount University's School of Film and Television.
Lina Larson is directing, producing, and a co-writer of this film. She is a screenwriting and film production major and ROGUE is her senior thesis film. Her directorial debut, The Oval Portrait (2019) is an award winning short film shot in Budapest, Hungary and has been playing at festivals throughout the US and Europe. ROGUE will be her third produced short film she has directed and hopes it will move audiences and get her closer to achieving her goal of becoming a feature film director.
Ashley Beuhler is the producer of this film. She is a film production and accounting double major and ROGUE will mark the 12th film she has produced. Ashley aims to work in television as a line producer after graduation. Ashley is drawn to meaningful stories that focus on being true to who you are and embracing individuality. ROGUE fits this mission perfectly, telling a story of a group rarely acknowledged in media and she is excited to help show this film to audiences.
Ariana Skeeland is the co-writer and co-producer of this film. The ROGUE short film she has co-written with Lina is an adaptation of a feature film script she has written at LMU. She is working towards being a working screenwriter after graduating.
Griffin Voth is an LA-based Cinematographer from Seattle, WA. He graduated LMU’s School of Film and Television, receiving the Ian Conner award for outstanding achievement in cinematography. Griffin is passionate about telling stories that follow unique people and enhancing their narratives and emotions through his lighting and camera work. He has shot over 20 short narratives using both digital and film mediums. ROGUE fits perfectly with Griffin’s interest in story and mood, and he is excited to lend his eye to help Lina achieve her vision.
See his reel at https://vimeo.com/202514035
Pavel Frantsen is a composer and sound designer from Boston who works primarily with digital and sampled music. He seeks to make his work both emphasize the visuals and stand on its own through memorability and texture.
Sarah Rasmussen is the casting director for ROGUE. She majors in screenwriting at LMU. Her expereince in acting and 1st ADing on student sets will serve her well in this logistical role. She will seek out the diverse cast and musical talent for the film and is excited for the audition process.
-
Media
Videos
Images
-
Community
Supporters
Followers