So Much for Solidarity
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
Following a night in one woman’s life, this film explores the isolating nature of grief and motherhood, and the complexity of relationships and friendships as as we move through life at different paces.
So Much for Solidarity
Los Angeles, California | Film Short
Drama
1 Campaigns | California, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $26,325 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
89 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
Following a night in one woman’s life, this film explores the isolating nature of grief and motherhood, and the complexity of relationships and friendships as as we move through life at different paces.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Introduction
I have always been drawn to stories that are deceptively simple in premise. Often, they are the most thought-provoking and poignant, exploring a spectrum of human emotion and relationship dynamics. They shed light on subjects that are difficult to process and discuss. This is the kind of story I hope to tell with this film.
So Much for Solidarity is a short film and proof of concept for a series that explores themes of grief, motherhood, relationships, and the challenges of moving forward. It looks at how isolating these experiences can be, especially as we move through life at different paces from our friends.
The Story
The film follows Elena as she attempts to rebuild and reclaim herself. Attending the first party since the birth of her son, Elena spontaneously brings Xavier, a kind and handsome man she just met. But her attempt to move on is immediately complicated by the presence of her ex, James. What’s more, her friends are acting strangely, and as she tries to reconnect with them, she only feels more isolated. As the evening goes on, Elena is forced to confront unresolved pain and face her past – as well as her future.
Tone
This film is a slice of life, a glimpse into Elena’s world and those who occupy it. Much of it reads like a play, the viewer invited in as a guest and spectator; but at times this access will almost feel intrusive, as though eavesdropping on private moments. While there is an undercurrent of pain and tension, there is also levity in banter between old lovers and the funny awkwardness of new connections.
Look and Feel
I’m inspired by the cinematography of Pieces of a Woman and Shiva Baby. I intend to incorporate some of the more painterly setups of the former, and the tight close-ups of the latter. This change in perspective will be used to emphasize Elena’s feelings of disconnection from those around her. At certain times, she will seem distant, but at others, suffocated, trapped in an environment in which she no longer feels she belongs. The camera will move through the room as though it were a guest itself. This is an intimate film and I want the audience to be immersed in Elena’s world.
Goals and Strategy
As mentioned, So Much for Solidarity is a proof of concept, intended to show that this world and characters have potential for a longer series. I have written the pilot, and in the series we will continue on Elena’s journey as she accepts her new circumstances and builds a better life for herself and her son. We will also follow the other characters in her world, and their various journeys through parenthood, aging and moving on.
In regards to the short, we will have the film finished in time for submissions to Oscar-qualifying festivals next year, such as Sundance, South by Southwest (SXSW), Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Tribeca, Cannes, and Uppsala International Short Film Festival.
Director's Statement
Grief has long been a fascinating and troubling emotion for me. My first experience of death wasn’t my own loss, but that of my close friend. Still, it devastated me, and seeing my friend in pain was a helpless, heartbreaking feeling. Not knowing what to say or do, how to be a comfort. Being forced to confront mortality. So many of us have a profound discomfort with death — we tiptoe around someone’s existence as if mentioning them will remind their loved one of their loss. Instead, this just isolates them further.
As I got older, I experienced my own, smaller, forms of grief. Relationships that ended, imagined futures lost. The end of fearless optimism and a confrontation with the complexities and pain of the world. Curiously, as my friends became mothers, I saw how many similarities existed here, too — a new, exciting, chapter of life, but also the loss of a previous one. An often unspoken mourning of a life where their needs came first; where they were an individual before being somebody’s mother.
These intricacies of human dynamics, the ways in which we all so desperately need to be seen but don’t always see others, are the themes at the heart of So Much for Solidarity. Through a slice of one woman’s life, I want to hold space for a spectrum of experiences and emotions, shedding light on subjects that are often difficult to discuss.
Project Status
We have a finished script, producers on board, a full cast, and some top crew hired. We plan to shoot in mid-January, with rehearsals starting next month. I want to thoroughly rehearse and block the script ahead of time so that we feel ready and can avoid any delays on our limited shooting days. The film will be completed and ready in time for submission to prestige festivals next year. We're excited and ready to get this thing made!
Stretch Goals
Our $21,000 goal is the bare minimum needed to get this film made at high production quality without exploiting the work of our crew.
- If we raise $25,000, we can hire a larger crew to make us move more efficiently and therefore get more coverage, give everyone more time to prep, and get better set design and lighting. We will also be able to cover basic post-production needs.
- If we raise $30,000, we'll be able to cover our post-production costs, as well as festival, distribution and promotional costs for getting the film into the world and in front of a wide audience.
Other Ways to Help
If you’d like to support this project, but you aren’t in a place to contribute monetarily, no worries! Here are some other ways you can help us out:
1) Follow us!
- Find us on Instagram: @somuchforsolidarity
- Follow our Seed&Spark page by clicking the little blue heart at the top right. Once we hit 250 followers, we'll start unlocking creator discounts for this and future projects. Plus get updates as we move into production!
2) Share our story!
- Tell a friend who might be interested in this story via email, text, word-of-mouth—anything! We want to reach the widest audience possible during our short campaign window. Please the following on Instagram with one of our posts:
- Please help support @allychristensson and the @somuchforsolidarity crew by supporting the SO MUCH FOR SOLIDARITY project on Seed & Spark. The film is about a new mother who attempts to move on and reconnect after a recent tragic event, but the past won’t let go so easily. Join them here: seedandspark.com/fund/so-much-for-solidarity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Shooting Labor
Costs $6,700
Help us pay our vital crew members!
Location Expenses
Costs $4,000
Help us pay for our locations and feed our team! As well as pay for van rental and permits.
Production Design & Wardrobe
Costs $3,400
Never underestimate the importance of production design and wardrobe! Help us hire a kickass art department to make this film come to life.
Equipment Rental
Costs $3,100
Lighting, lenses, all the fancy and fun equipment that makes this thing real!
Pre-Production Labor
Costs $2,400
Most of our team are donating time out of passion for the project, but there will be a lot of work before the shoot that needs compensation.
Media & Miscellaneous
Costs $1,400
We will need hard drives to store our footage, there is a fee to host this fundraising campaign, plus many more items that add up.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Crew
Alexandra Christensson, Writer/Director
Alexandra is a writer, director and producer raised in London, U.K. by Swedish and American parents. She graduated from USC in 2017 with a BFA in Film and Television Production. Her thesis film, One Small Step, which she produced, was the official selection for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2018; was on the the shortlist for the BAFTA Student Film Awards of the same year; and was screened at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Since graduating USC, Alexandra has worked at CAA, Ryan Murphy Productions, on a David E. Kelley pilot, and more recently for a Netflix series currently in pre-production. Her feature, Omni, was selected as a Semifinalist for the ScreenCraft Feature Competition in 2022. She is represented by Jacqueline Mosher and Lucius Cary at Rain LA.
Dorian Thomas, Producer
Dorian, a commercial producer with Hungarian/American roots, is currently based in Los Angeles. He has produced music videos for Green Day, Miley Cyrus and Conan Grey. Among his commercial work he has worked for Apple, Coach, Target, PGA, Food Network and DoorDash. He also frequently collaborates with the production company Maximum Effort.
Dorian studied producing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Zein Khleif, Producer 
Zein is an Arab-American actress and producer. Born to Middle Eastern immigrants, she is a first generation American and speaks English and Arabic fluently.
Her feature documentary, Three Promises, is currently on the festival circuit. It won Best Documentary Feature at Camden International this year, and has screened worldwide. Two of her narrative short films are in post-production, and she can’t wait to share them soon.
Zein works in scripted Development at Echobend Pictures. She is also currently getting her masters in Creative Producing from USC’s Peter Stark Producing program and holds a B.A. in Political Psychology from Brown University.
Chandler Desforges, Cinematographer 
Chandler is a working cinematographer in Los Angeles. His work and passions span narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials.
His latest projects include a documentary series that premiered at Tribeca 2022, a range of short films shot in a variety of styles, and music videos with an emphasis on helping to create and cement artists' visual language for their respective artist projects.
Chandler is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he received a BFA in Film & Television Production. His projects have screened at such festivals as Tribeca Film Festival, Outfest, and aGLIFF.
Cast
Alex Sgambati as ELENA
Alex Sgambati is an actress and producer best known for her work on The Walking Dead. She can be seen in the recently released feature The Immaculate Room, starring Kate Bosworth and Emile Hirsch, and the upcoming Russo Brothers executive produced Something’s More than One Thing. She has taken home Best Actress awards at Mammoth Film Festival, Sunset Film Festival, IndieFEST Film Awards, and Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, and shared Best Ensemble Film at the San Diego Film Festival. Her first project as both actress and producer, MISO, centers on abortion rights, and was screened for Congress earlier this year.
Dylan Arnold as JAMES
Dylan Arnold is an actor, known for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Netflix’s You, David Gordon Green’s Halloween and the Netflix original movies After and After We Collided. He can next be seen in Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake, alongside Natalie Portman.
He holds a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Brandon Scott as XAVIER
Brandon Scott is an actor/musician and founding member of Los Angeles theater companies IAMA Theatre and Ammunition Theatre. He holds a B.F.A. in Theater from NYU. Brandon was recently on stage in Power of Sail (written by Paul Grellong, starring Bryan Cranston) at the Geffen Playhouse. Recent film: Dead for a Dollar directed by Walter Hill, starring Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, and Rachel Brosnahan. TV: The Girls on the Bus (HBO Max), Dead to Me (Netflix), Goliath (Amazon), Guerrilla (Showtime), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), This Is Us (NBC), 13 Reasons Why (Netflix). Brandon also creates music under his Pop-Soul alter ego Icarus V and his Hip Hop/Soul band Verbal & Icarus. @brandonoscott
Annika Foster as JULIET
Annika Foster fell in love with acting during her first local children’s theater play at age 10. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to get her BA in theater at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. This is where she met Alexandra, starring in her first ever independent production, The Here and Now. Since graduating, Annika has worked on over a dozen features and independent projects.
Sara Anne as SARA
Sara Anne is an actress raised in Southern California and best known for her role as Young Mary in the hit television show “The Chosen.” She can also be seen in “When You Finish Saving the World,” an A24 film directed by Jesse Eisenberg, starring Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard. Sara has also played on shows such as “Criminal Minds,” “Lucifer,” “Chambers” and more.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Introduction
I have always been drawn to stories that are deceptively simple in premise. Often, they are the most thought-provoking and poignant, exploring a spectrum of human emotion and relationship dynamics. They shed light on subjects that are difficult to process and discuss. This is the kind of story I hope to tell with this film.
So Much for Solidarity is a short film and proof of concept for a series that explores themes of grief, motherhood, relationships, and the challenges of moving forward. It looks at how isolating these experiences can be, especially as we move through life at different paces from our friends.
The Story
The film follows Elena as she attempts to rebuild and reclaim herself. Attending the first party since the birth of her son, Elena spontaneously brings Xavier, a kind and handsome man she just met. But her attempt to move on is immediately complicated by the presence of her ex, James. What’s more, her friends are acting strangely, and as she tries to reconnect with them, she only feels more isolated. As the evening goes on, Elena is forced to confront unresolved pain and face her past – as well as her future.
Tone
This film is a slice of life, a glimpse into Elena’s world and those who occupy it. Much of it reads like a play, the viewer invited in as a guest and spectator; but at times this access will almost feel intrusive, as though eavesdropping on private moments. While there is an undercurrent of pain and tension, there is also levity in banter between old lovers and the funny awkwardness of new connections.
Look and Feel
I’m inspired by the cinematography of Pieces of a Woman and Shiva Baby. I intend to incorporate some of the more painterly setups of the former, and the tight close-ups of the latter. This change in perspective will be used to emphasize Elena’s feelings of disconnection from those around her. At certain times, she will seem distant, but at others, suffocated, trapped in an environment in which she no longer feels she belongs. The camera will move through the room as though it were a guest itself. This is an intimate film and I want the audience to be immersed in Elena’s world.
Goals and Strategy
As mentioned, So Much for Solidarity is a proof of concept, intended to show that this world and characters have potential for a longer series. I have written the pilot, and in the series we will continue on Elena’s journey as she accepts her new circumstances and builds a better life for herself and her son. We will also follow the other characters in her world, and their various journeys through parenthood, aging and moving on.
In regards to the short, we will have the film finished in time for submissions to Oscar-qualifying festivals next year, such as Sundance, South by Southwest (SXSW), Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), Tribeca, Cannes, and Uppsala International Short Film Festival.
Director's Statement
Grief has long been a fascinating and troubling emotion for me. My first experience of death wasn’t my own loss, but that of my close friend. Still, it devastated me, and seeing my friend in pain was a helpless, heartbreaking feeling. Not knowing what to say or do, how to be a comfort. Being forced to confront mortality. So many of us have a profound discomfort with death — we tiptoe around someone’s existence as if mentioning them will remind their loved one of their loss. Instead, this just isolates them further.
As I got older, I experienced my own, smaller, forms of grief. Relationships that ended, imagined futures lost. The end of fearless optimism and a confrontation with the complexities and pain of the world. Curiously, as my friends became mothers, I saw how many similarities existed here, too — a new, exciting, chapter of life, but also the loss of a previous one. An often unspoken mourning of a life where their needs came first; where they were an individual before being somebody’s mother.
These intricacies of human dynamics, the ways in which we all so desperately need to be seen but don’t always see others, are the themes at the heart of So Much for Solidarity. Through a slice of one woman’s life, I want to hold space for a spectrum of experiences and emotions, shedding light on subjects that are often difficult to discuss.
Project Status
We have a finished script, producers on board, a full cast, and some top crew hired. We plan to shoot in mid-January, with rehearsals starting next month. I want to thoroughly rehearse and block the script ahead of time so that we feel ready and can avoid any delays on our limited shooting days. The film will be completed and ready in time for submission to prestige festivals next year. We're excited and ready to get this thing made!
Stretch Goals
Our $21,000 goal is the bare minimum needed to get this film made at high production quality without exploiting the work of our crew.
- If we raise $25,000, we can hire a larger crew to make us move more efficiently and therefore get more coverage, give everyone more time to prep, and get better set design and lighting. We will also be able to cover basic post-production needs.
- If we raise $30,000, we'll be able to cover our post-production costs, as well as festival, distribution and promotional costs for getting the film into the world and in front of a wide audience.
Other Ways to Help
If you’d like to support this project, but you aren’t in a place to contribute monetarily, no worries! Here are some other ways you can help us out:
1) Follow us!
- Find us on Instagram: @somuchforsolidarity
- Follow our Seed&Spark page by clicking the little blue heart at the top right. Once we hit 250 followers, we'll start unlocking creator discounts for this and future projects. Plus get updates as we move into production!
2) Share our story!
- Tell a friend who might be interested in this story via email, text, word-of-mouth—anything! We want to reach the widest audience possible during our short campaign window. Please the following on Instagram with one of our posts:
- Please help support @allychristensson and the @somuchforsolidarity crew by supporting the SO MUCH FOR SOLIDARITY project on Seed & Spark. The film is about a new mother who attempts to move on and reconnect after a recent tragic event, but the past won’t let go so easily. Join them here: seedandspark.com/fund/so-much-for-solidarity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Shooting Labor
Costs $6,700
Help us pay our vital crew members!
Location Expenses
Costs $4,000
Help us pay for our locations and feed our team! As well as pay for van rental and permits.
Production Design & Wardrobe
Costs $3,400
Never underestimate the importance of production design and wardrobe! Help us hire a kickass art department to make this film come to life.
Equipment Rental
Costs $3,100
Lighting, lenses, all the fancy and fun equipment that makes this thing real!
Pre-Production Labor
Costs $2,400
Most of our team are donating time out of passion for the project, but there will be a lot of work before the shoot that needs compensation.
Media & Miscellaneous
Costs $1,400
We will need hard drives to store our footage, there is a fee to host this fundraising campaign, plus many more items that add up.
Cash Pledge
Costs $0
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
Crew
Alexandra Christensson, Writer/Director
Alexandra is a writer, director and producer raised in London, U.K. by Swedish and American parents. She graduated from USC in 2017 with a BFA in Film and Television Production. Her thesis film, One Small Step, which she produced, was the official selection for the Clermont-Ferrand International Short Film Festival in 2018; was on the the shortlist for the BAFTA Student Film Awards of the same year; and was screened at the American Pavilion Emerging Filmmaker Showcase at Cannes Film Festival in 2019. Since graduating USC, Alexandra has worked at CAA, Ryan Murphy Productions, on a David E. Kelley pilot, and more recently for a Netflix series currently in pre-production. Her feature, Omni, was selected as a Semifinalist for the ScreenCraft Feature Competition in 2022. She is represented by Jacqueline Mosher and Lucius Cary at Rain LA.
Dorian Thomas, Producer
Dorian, a commercial producer with Hungarian/American roots, is currently based in Los Angeles. He has produced music videos for Green Day, Miley Cyrus and Conan Grey. Among his commercial work he has worked for Apple, Coach, Target, PGA, Food Network and DoorDash. He also frequently collaborates with the production company Maximum Effort.
Dorian studied producing at the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Zein Khleif, Producer
Zein is an Arab-American actress and producer. Born to Middle Eastern immigrants, she is a first generation American and speaks English and Arabic fluently.
Her feature documentary, Three Promises, is currently on the festival circuit. It won Best Documentary Feature at Camden International this year, and has screened worldwide. Two of her narrative short films are in post-production, and she can’t wait to share them soon.
Zein works in scripted Development at Echobend Pictures. She is also currently getting her masters in Creative Producing from USC’s Peter Stark Producing program and holds a B.A. in Political Psychology from Brown University.
Chandler Desforges, Cinematographer
Chandler is a working cinematographer in Los Angeles. His work and passions span narrative films, documentaries, music videos, and commercials.
His latest projects include a documentary series that premiered at Tribeca 2022, a range of short films shot in a variety of styles, and music videos with an emphasis on helping to create and cement artists' visual language for their respective artist projects.
Chandler is a graduate of the University of Southern California where he received a BFA in Film & Television Production. His projects have screened at such festivals as Tribeca Film Festival, Outfest, and aGLIFF.
Cast
Alex Sgambati as ELENA
Alex Sgambati is an actress and producer best known for her work on The Walking Dead. She can be seen in the recently released feature The Immaculate Room, starring Kate Bosworth and Emile Hirsch, and the upcoming Russo Brothers executive produced Something’s More than One Thing. She has taken home Best Actress awards at Mammoth Film Festival, Sunset Film Festival, IndieFEST Film Awards, and Williamsburg Independent Film Festival, and shared Best Ensemble Film at the San Diego Film Festival. Her first project as both actress and producer, MISO, centers on abortion rights, and was screened for Congress earlier this year.
Dylan Arnold as JAMES
Dylan Arnold is an actor, known for Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer, Netflix’s You, David Gordon Green’s Halloween and the Netflix original movies After and After We Collided. He can next be seen in Apple TV+’s Lady in the Lake, alongside Natalie Portman.
He holds a BFA from University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
Brandon Scott as XAVIER
Brandon Scott is an actor/musician and founding member of Los Angeles theater companies IAMA Theatre and Ammunition Theatre. He holds a B.F.A. in Theater from NYU. Brandon was recently on stage in Power of Sail (written by Paul Grellong, starring Bryan Cranston) at the Geffen Playhouse. Recent film: Dead for a Dollar directed by Walter Hill, starring Christoph Waltz, Willem Dafoe, and Rachel Brosnahan. TV: The Girls on the Bus (HBO Max), Dead to Me (Netflix), Goliath (Amazon), Guerrilla (Showtime), Grey’s Anatomy (ABC), This Is Us (NBC), 13 Reasons Why (Netflix). Brandon also creates music under his Pop-Soul alter ego Icarus V and his Hip Hop/Soul band Verbal & Icarus. @brandonoscott
Annika Foster as JULIET
Annika Foster fell in love with acting during her first local children’s theater play at age 10. She grew up in the Pacific Northwest and moved to Los Angeles in 2012 to get her BA in theater at USC’s School of Dramatic Arts. This is where she met Alexandra, starring in her first ever independent production, The Here and Now. Since graduating, Annika has worked on over a dozen features and independent projects.
Sara Anne as SARA
Sara Anne is an actress raised in Southern California and best known for her role as Young Mary in the hit television show “The Chosen.” She can also be seen in “When You Finish Saving the World,” an A24 film directed by Jesse Eisenberg, starring Julianne Moore and Finn Wolfhard. Sara has also played on shows such as “Criminal Minds,” “Lucifer,” “Chambers” and more.