Twenty-something-year-old Agatha comes home after a lengthy stay in rehab a shattered person. In her small town, everything seems to remind her of the life she once had and the people she held dear before it all went wrong.

She especially misses her best friend, Maggie, but they haven’t spoken in months. Finally home, Agatha hopes to reconnect and establish a sense of normalcy… but all is silent when she reaches out. As she sinks into a routine, she finds that relics of her friendship are everywhere. Her mother, Ellie, scared to hurt her fragile daughter, lets her be, but watches her sink into a state of sorrow and confusion.

This story, told largely in flashbacks, is about dealing with loss and accepting the reality of the present. It’s a story about friendship, forgiveness, and the growing pains that come with leaving our childhood behind.

I believe that the complexity of platonic female friendships is often oversimplified. Our best friends form us. They become our secret keepers, our drinking buddies, our therapists, our family. But somewhere along the way, we begin to grow up. And sometimes, we grow apart. We have all been close to someone and then drifted. We all have someone who was once an irreplaceable friend who we now know nothing about — and that loss can be devastating.

It’s not surprising that there is such a lack of content that explores platonic relationships. I wanted to write a story of a distilled female experience, free of sexualization and male interference. The only three characters in the script are the protagonist, her best friend, and her mother. All three characters go through their own arc and come out different women by the end.

What struck me the most about writing this story was the gasp and, “This happened to me too,” that people whispered to me as I finished telling them about the script. In making this film, I hope that we can see a part of ourselves. I hope that I can contribute a small part to fill the narrative gap in the industry. Above all, I hope this film provides closure to those of us who have grown up differently than the younger version of themselves once imagined.

Three women, three time periods, three stories.

Once the star athlete of the swim team and the only student to get a full ride to school, Agatha seemed to have it all worked out. Until a near-fatal accident exposed her alcoholism and everything slipped through her fingers.

Headstrong and passionate, she lived to make those close to her proud. Will she be able to forgive herself as she comes home to those she hurt most?

Divorced young and forced to provide for her only child, Ellie has only focused on her daughter’s happiness.

Bruised by confrontation and blinded with pride, she failed to see her child’s alcoholism until it was almost too late. Now that her daughter is back, will she be able to take on this new chapter of their lives and console Agatha as she faces yet another loss?

Ever the middle child, Maggie was always used to standing in the shadow of those around her. And Agatha was no exception. Kind and passive, she allowed others' problems to wave over her until she realized she was drowning.

Will she be able to communicate to her oldest friend why they have drifted? Or will she let the silence speak for itself?

A coming-of-age story told in reverse order, the story will unfold slowly and then all at once as told by an unreliable protagonist. Through the intertwining of three distinct timelines, the cinematography will give each era its own feel.

The childhood days will feel like memories. Smudged and tactical. Bright and full of hope. The color palette will be brighter and nostalgic.

The teenage years will be distorted and intense. In the throws of addiction, our protagonist's perspective will be skewed and unreliable.

The present-day will be centered, two-dimensional, and flat. Though everything will be clearer, the colors will be duller and darker.

Similarly, the sound design will be used to weave the different perspectives together. With recurring themes of water and drowning, the fluid score will highlight the emotional notes of the characters and fill in the enchanting natural beauty of the photography.

Our shooting location is Germantown, New York, a small town 2 hours north of NYC, where we have found incredible properties and beautiful exteriors for the story.

(Images from location scout in February 2024)

This project is proud to be fiscally sponsored by From the Heart Productions, a 501c organization, making your donation 100% tax deductible!

We are scheduled to shoot over five days in June 2024. We need to raise funds for the above expenses. We have high ambitions for this film and want to tell a quality story while taking care of the team working on- and off-set!

Be sure to check out our wishlist for more details on the exact costs and an opportunity to help us achieve our goal!

Timeline:

Currently, we are advancing through the pre-production stage with an incredible and steadily growing team. The project already has a comprehensive budget, schedule, and locked script. We are starting the early stages of casting, and all the updates will be posted on the campaign page here on Seed & Spark and our director’s social media (@mariadelacruzfilm). Be sure to follow to stay in the loop!

Contribute: 

Please consider partnering with us financially to help achieve our goal— there is no Shallow End without you! Check out our wishlist and decide which you can help us achieve or choose an incentive that excites you. You can also donate any monetary amount, even if it’s not listed. Anything helps, and all your donations are tax-deductible! 

Follow: 

Please be sure to follow our Seed&Spark campaign! We will be posting updates as we cast, hire crew, cement shoot dates, and more. 

You can also follow the director’s Instagram for behind-the-scenes content at @mariadelacruzfilm and her website at mariadelacruzfilm.com for more information on the film and her previous work. 

Spread the Word! 

If you can’t support the film financially, that’s okay! Even simply sharing our campaign on social media or telling a friend about our story can help in our fundraising journey to produce this film. No matter what, thank you for taking the time to learn about Shallow End.