Silver Cord
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
Silver Cord is an exploration of the ultimate unknown: what awaits after death? The film is a thought experiment meant to highlight the meaning of our existence and life while attempting to unify the notion of death through different religions, cultures, and beliefs.
Silver Cord
Chicago, Illinois | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy

1 Campaigns | Illinois, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,000 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
73 supporters | followers
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Silver Cord is an exploration of the ultimate unknown: what awaits after death? The film is a thought experiment meant to highlight the meaning of our existence and life while attempting to unify the notion of death through different religions, cultures, and beliefs.
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The film follows the journey of a woman called Maya who copes with the loss of her father through her own near-death experience. She is knocked over by a biker during hiking and with no memory about the accident, her soul detaches from her body and wanders off into the world of afterlife set underwater - inspired by one of her fondest memories with her father, learning to swim.
Silver Cord blossoms out of our curiosity about the very things we lack the knowledge of the most - our existence and our death. Living in a foreign land with a very different upbringing and beliefs, we've come across how similar we all are despite being very far from each other. Learning about other cultures, religions, and communities here and bringing our cultures and communities to light, we were able to develop a deeper understanding and connection to how we all are interconnected and the same people - despite being from different lands, religions, cultures we really are one - humans above all.
The journey began for us two years ago with this beautiful photograph from Museum of Contemporary Photography inspired the idea of separation and unity - life and death. It started out of curiosity about our anatomy as humans and how there are two parts to us - a body and a soul and the transcending to their ultimate destinations after death - burial in the ground for the body and afterlife for the soul.
We researched the concept of death across different religions and met with preachers and scholars of various religions and found something astonishing - we may have different beliefs when it comes to life but we all share the same death - a point where all religions, cultures, races, beliefs, and people meet as one - humans!
Working on this film has helped see the world and people around us in a different light, with a lot more love and connection and a lot less judgment.
Through our version of the afterlife, we hope to give out what it has given to us - a deeper sense of who we are, where we all come from and where we all may go.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation Rental
Costs $1,500
Help us cover transportation rental and fuel cost to transport our gear and crew to locations
Location
Costs $1,800
Help us secure our locations such as hiking trails, forest cabins, motion capture studio and pool.
Feed the Crew
Costs $1,200
Help us feed our hard working crew during six days of production & keep their energy high!
Rental of Underwater Equipment
Costs $2,500
This money will help us secure underwater camera and housing body to film underwater sequences.
About This Team
Urwa Zubair was born and raised in Pakistan. She has worked in feature films and several commercials as an assistant director and assistant producer in Pakistan. She wrote, directed and produced several national and international festival-winning short films. Belonging to a former military family, she traveled a lot and her nomadic lifestyle taught her the worth of simple things in life and understanding to work with individuals of different ethnicities and culture. Her work is usually driven from curiosity about unfamiliar territories and circumstances and how the craft of filmmaking can be used as a creative medium to explore the extraordinary ways humans interact with their environments, and how it can help people rediscover their curiosity about the world. She currently resides in Chicago.
Süha Toraman was born in Ankara, Turkey and immersed in the world of filmmaking at the age of fourteen. He worked as an assistant director for various TV commercials. He directed award-winning short films and graduated from Kadir Has University, Istanbul with a BFA degree in Radio, Television and Cinema. His films explore stories of people across the globe and capture the drama, struggle, perception, and challenges of human life. His films contain themes of courage, conscience, peace, betrayal, and liberation. He currently resides in Chicago pursuing MFA Cinema Directing from Columbia College Chicago.
Geneva is a writer and director based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from Truman State University in 2015 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Theatre. She has directed and written several short films. She currently resides in Chicago where she is pursuing Cinema Directing MFA program at Columbia College Chicago.
Matt Hayward is a dedicated and passionate Cinematographer with 3+ years of experience in Cinematography. Competent in capturing emotional images conveying the story and ideas of the Director and Producer on all formats while creating collaboration among crew and departments. He attended Columbia College Chicago Cinema Arts and Science with a focus in Cinematography and ASC Master Class taught by Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC. He was recently awarded American Society of Cinematographers Heritage Award and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Student Award.
Independent filmmaker Nicholas Graham is a native of Rhode Island and has worked in Europe and the US as a director and cinematographer in several award-winning short films. He worked as the art department assistant for Warner Brother’s feature film "Joker" and interned for Lionsgate's international sales and distribution department at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. He traveled through Italy and worked with various international filmmakers on numerous short film productions. Nicholas’s work is usually looking out of the dark corners and addressing the themes of survival, family, and love. His extensive travel experience has given him a broad perspective and understanding to work with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. He currently resides in Chicago.
He has been in the film/video production field for 20 plus years. He started out as a young buck in the grip/electric department and learned the craft of lighting by working with some of the best gaffers and DP’s in the Washington DC/Baltimore area before relocating to Chicago in the late ’90s. The lighting experience he gained was crucial and informs everything he does as a DP, from a handheld run and gun situations to large set-ups with a full crew and talent. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world of production, he prides himself on being able to work efficiently and adapt to whatever situation he is in. He believes there is no substitute for experience, and his ability to understand the bigger picture of the project and work with both client and crew to get the images we need are what sets his work apart.
Patrick Clark is a Junior at Columbia College Chicago pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinematography. As an ambitious film student, Patrick has used his passion for cinematography in various ways. Whether that is on land shooting a narrative or 50 feet underwater. Patrick will do whatever it takes to get the shot and that is what makes him unique. He recently shot “Coming Up For Air”, an independent feature film that takes the audience on an all-too-common journey, highlighting the importance of mental health. It is expected to premiere nationwide in September 2019. His love for storytelling is above everything and he believes it is his obligation to use his medium to inspire others.
Alex Vaca is a Sound Designer based in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio Design and Production. He started working with audio at a very young age, producing and engineering albums, and since then has worked and engineered on a wide variety of projects, including music albums, short films, web series, and feature films. He understands the importance of audio and uses every tool and technique at his disposal to get the best sound possible for any project.
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
The film follows the journey of a woman called Maya who copes with the loss of her father through her own near-death experience. She is knocked over by a biker during hiking and with no memory about the accident, her soul detaches from her body and wanders off into the world of afterlife set underwater - inspired by one of her fondest memories with her father, learning to swim.
Silver Cord blossoms out of our curiosity about the very things we lack the knowledge of the most - our existence and our death. Living in a foreign land with a very different upbringing and beliefs, we've come across how similar we all are despite being very far from each other. Learning about other cultures, religions, and communities here and bringing our cultures and communities to light, we were able to develop a deeper understanding and connection to how we all are interconnected and the same people - despite being from different lands, religions, cultures we really are one - humans above all.
The journey began for us two years ago with this beautiful photograph from Museum of Contemporary Photography inspired the idea of separation and unity - life and death. It started out of curiosity about our anatomy as humans and how there are two parts to us - a body and a soul and the transcending to their ultimate destinations after death - burial in the ground for the body and afterlife for the soul.
We researched the concept of death across different religions and met with preachers and scholars of various religions and found something astonishing - we may have different beliefs when it comes to life but we all share the same death - a point where all religions, cultures, races, beliefs, and people meet as one - humans!
Working on this film has helped see the world and people around us in a different light, with a lot more love and connection and a lot less judgment.
Through our version of the afterlife, we hope to give out what it has given to us - a deeper sense of who we are, where we all come from and where we all may go.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Transportation Rental
Costs $1,500
Help us cover transportation rental and fuel cost to transport our gear and crew to locations
Location
Costs $1,800
Help us secure our locations such as hiking trails, forest cabins, motion capture studio and pool.
Feed the Crew
Costs $1,200
Help us feed our hard working crew during six days of production & keep their energy high!
Rental of Underwater Equipment
Costs $2,500
This money will help us secure underwater camera and housing body to film underwater sequences.
About This Team
Urwa Zubair was born and raised in Pakistan. She has worked in feature films and several commercials as an assistant director and assistant producer in Pakistan. She wrote, directed and produced several national and international festival-winning short films. Belonging to a former military family, she traveled a lot and her nomadic lifestyle taught her the worth of simple things in life and understanding to work with individuals of different ethnicities and culture. Her work is usually driven from curiosity about unfamiliar territories and circumstances and how the craft of filmmaking can be used as a creative medium to explore the extraordinary ways humans interact with their environments, and how it can help people rediscover their curiosity about the world. She currently resides in Chicago.
Süha Toraman was born in Ankara, Turkey and immersed in the world of filmmaking at the age of fourteen. He worked as an assistant director for various TV commercials. He directed award-winning short films and graduated from Kadir Has University, Istanbul with a BFA degree in Radio, Television and Cinema. His films explore stories of people across the globe and capture the drama, struggle, perception, and challenges of human life. His films contain themes of courage, conscience, peace, betrayal, and liberation. He currently resides in Chicago pursuing MFA Cinema Directing from Columbia College Chicago.
Geneva is a writer and director based in Chicago, IL. She graduated from Truman State University in 2015 with a degree in Creative Writing and a minor in Theatre. She has directed and written several short films. She currently resides in Chicago where she is pursuing Cinema Directing MFA program at Columbia College Chicago.
Matt Hayward is a dedicated and passionate Cinematographer with 3+ years of experience in Cinematography. Competent in capturing emotional images conveying the story and ideas of the Director and Producer on all formats while creating collaboration among crew and departments. He attended Columbia College Chicago Cinema Arts and Science with a focus in Cinematography and ASC Master Class taught by Hoyte van Hoytema, ASC, FSF, NSC. He was recently awarded American Society of Cinematographers Heritage Award and National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences Student Award.
Independent filmmaker Nicholas Graham is a native of Rhode Island and has worked in Europe and the US as a director and cinematographer in several award-winning short films. He worked as the art department assistant for Warner Brother’s feature film "Joker" and interned for Lionsgate's international sales and distribution department at the Cannes Film Festival in 2017. He traveled through Italy and worked with various international filmmakers on numerous short film productions. Nicholas’s work is usually looking out of the dark corners and addressing the themes of survival, family, and love. His extensive travel experience has given him a broad perspective and understanding to work with individuals from different cultures and backgrounds. He currently resides in Chicago.
He has been in the film/video production field for 20 plus years. He started out as a young buck in the grip/electric department and learned the craft of lighting by working with some of the best gaffers and DP’s in the Washington DC/Baltimore area before relocating to Chicago in the late ’90s. The lighting experience he gained was crucial and informs everything he does as a DP, from a handheld run and gun situations to large set-ups with a full crew and talent. In this fast-paced, ever-changing world of production, he prides himself on being able to work efficiently and adapt to whatever situation he is in. He believes there is no substitute for experience, and his ability to understand the bigger picture of the project and work with both client and crew to get the images we need are what sets his work apart.
Patrick Clark is a Junior at Columbia College Chicago pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Cinematography. As an ambitious film student, Patrick has used his passion for cinematography in various ways. Whether that is on land shooting a narrative or 50 feet underwater. Patrick will do whatever it takes to get the shot and that is what makes him unique. He recently shot “Coming Up For Air”, an independent feature film that takes the audience on an all-too-common journey, highlighting the importance of mental health. It is expected to premiere nationwide in September 2019. His love for storytelling is above everything and he believes it is his obligation to use his medium to inspire others.
Alex Vaca is a Sound Designer based in Chicago, Illinois. He graduated from Columbia College Chicago with a degree in Audio Design and Production. He started working with audio at a very young age, producing and engineering albums, and since then has worked and engineered on a wide variety of projects, including music albums, short films, web series, and feature films. He understands the importance of audio and uses every tool and technique at his disposal to get the best sound possible for any project.