The Camel's Back
Nairobi, Kenya | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
The Camel’s Back is a fantasy that takes place in locations that the world has never before seen on film. It tells the story of a young, black, African girl who feels unheard - this representation is so important in film and for the world to see and acknowledge.
The Camel's Back
Nairobi, Kenya | Film Short
Drama, Fantasy
1 Campaigns | Connecticut, United States
Green Light
This campaign raised $7,391 for production. Follow the filmmaker to receive future updates on this project.
53 supporters | followers
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The Camel’s Back is a fantasy that takes place in locations that the world has never before seen on film. It tells the story of a young, black, African girl who feels unheard - this representation is so important in film and for the world to see and acknowledge.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
SYNOPSIS
The Camel’s Back is a story about Susan, a 13 year old girl who feels shunned by her community. A traumatizing experience has her sturggling with mental illness.
Susan believes that she only has one day left to live and wants to escape the barren land that she's from and visit the 'most beautiful place in the world', Diani Beach, before her time is up.
OUR STORY:
Wangechi Ngugi is the producer of The Camel's Back and Michelle Mboya is writer and director of this short film that's a part of the Yale Senior Thesis Project. We fell in love with the idea of telling a story that was personal to both of us and we know hasn't been told before.We've spent the year writing and re-writing, planning, editing and co-ordinating efforts to make this film come to life.
Stories like this just don't get told. Too often we hear that people don't want to watch movies with black female leads. When we do get black female leads, it's often in a highly steroptyped role. My story is unique because it looks at the childhood of arguably the most unheard type of person in the world but teaches our viewers that the growing pains of being a girl is the same, regardless of where you go.
If the whole world was totally compassionate, it’d be a much more beautiful place. I believe that if I can make the least suspecting viewer feel something for someone that they think is far removed and far beneath them by all standards, then I will have succeeded.
The locations in the film have never before been seen on film and I'm excited to show the world two striking, albeit opposite, pieces of my home country, Kenya. Konza is a ranch outside of Nairobi that we'll use as our vast, rural land. Diani Beach is a beautful beach on the southern coast of Kenya. Both places are relatively untouched thus far and their natural beauty shows.
We're now in the pre-production phase. We've consolditaed a wonderful team of people to work with us. All we need now if your help raising the funds to make this happen.
NOTE: 50% of money generated from the film after distribution will go toward a non-profit called Kibera Hamlets. This is a non-profit performing arts school for children living in the slum, Kibera. A number of the children in our cast are part of Kibera Hamlets and we are so grateful and inspired by their talent and tenacity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $600
I need to pay the wonderful people and children who will bring my story to life!
Transport
Costs $1,890
We need to be able to safely move around Kenya to get all our beautiful locations!
Food
Costs $640
We've got 6 days of production and need to make sure all the cast and crew get fed!
Share this update!
About This Team
The Writer and Director:
Michelle Mboya is a Yale Senior from Kenya. She studies Economics and Film Studies and is creating her first 25 minute short The Camel's Back. She's previously worked on sets of Hollywood feature films, assistant directed the short film The Shoe Room (Julian Taffa) and created the limited mini webseries Girls In The Bathroom.
The Producer:
Wangechi Ngugi is a Kenyan born, Nairobi based filmmaker and producer. She has produced the award winning films Stories of Our Lives, the Fashion Film To Catch A Dream and the two part Sci-Fi short Monsoons Over the Moon.
The Director of Photography:
Dan Muchina is a Kenyan Director, Cinematographer and Editor. His credits include the award winning Stories of Our Lives, To Catch a Dream and Monsoons Over the Moon.
The Composer:
Cyrus Duff is a composer who works frequently with different media. He writes concert music, but he also creates theatrical sound design and scores short films and videos. He studies music at Yale.
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
The Story
SYNOPSIS
The Camel’s Back is a story about Susan, a 13 year old girl who feels shunned by her community. A traumatizing experience has her sturggling with mental illness.
Susan believes that she only has one day left to live and wants to escape the barren land that she's from and visit the 'most beautiful place in the world', Diani Beach, before her time is up.
OUR STORY:
Wangechi Ngugi is the producer of The Camel's Back and Michelle Mboya is writer and director of this short film that's a part of the Yale Senior Thesis Project. We fell in love with the idea of telling a story that was personal to both of us and we know hasn't been told before.We've spent the year writing and re-writing, planning, editing and co-ordinating efforts to make this film come to life.
Stories like this just don't get told. Too often we hear that people don't want to watch movies with black female leads. When we do get black female leads, it's often in a highly steroptyped role. My story is unique because it looks at the childhood of arguably the most unheard type of person in the world but teaches our viewers that the growing pains of being a girl is the same, regardless of where you go.
If the whole world was totally compassionate, it’d be a much more beautiful place. I believe that if I can make the least suspecting viewer feel something for someone that they think is far removed and far beneath them by all standards, then I will have succeeded.
The locations in the film have never before been seen on film and I'm excited to show the world two striking, albeit opposite, pieces of my home country, Kenya. Konza is a ranch outside of Nairobi that we'll use as our vast, rural land. Diani Beach is a beautful beach on the southern coast of Kenya. Both places are relatively untouched thus far and their natural beauty shows.
We're now in the pre-production phase. We've consolditaed a wonderful team of people to work with us. All we need now if your help raising the funds to make this happen.
NOTE: 50% of money generated from the film after distribution will go toward a non-profit called Kibera Hamlets. This is a non-profit performing arts school for children living in the slum, Kibera. A number of the children in our cast are part of Kibera Hamlets and we are so grateful and inspired by their talent and tenacity.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Cast
Costs $600
I need to pay the wonderful people and children who will bring my story to life!
Transport
Costs $1,890
We need to be able to safely move around Kenya to get all our beautiful locations!
Food
Costs $640
We've got 6 days of production and need to make sure all the cast and crew get fed!
Share this update!
About This Team
The Writer and Director:
Michelle Mboya is a Yale Senior from Kenya. She studies Economics and Film Studies and is creating her first 25 minute short The Camel's Back. She's previously worked on sets of Hollywood feature films, assistant directed the short film The Shoe Room (Julian Taffa) and created the limited mini webseries Girls In The Bathroom.
The Producer:
Wangechi Ngugi is a Kenyan born, Nairobi based filmmaker and producer. She has produced the award winning films Stories of Our Lives, the Fashion Film To Catch A Dream and the two part Sci-Fi short Monsoons Over the Moon.
The Director of Photography:
Dan Muchina is a Kenyan Director, Cinematographer and Editor. His credits include the award winning Stories of Our Lives, To Catch a Dream and Monsoons Over the Moon.
The Composer:
Cyrus Duff is a composer who works frequently with different media. He writes concert music, but he also creates theatrical sound design and scores short films and videos. He studies music at Yale.