Story

Jolie, a Texas native and Juilliard graduate, gives up on her dreams and moves back home when her mother is diagnosed with cancer. Ten years later, when her life is at a standstill, her mother's health is declining, and an old flame resurfaces in her life, she is suddenly forced to face who she is and who she wants to ultimately become.  

Why This Story? 

This story was deeply inspired by the screenwriter's own personal story. In her own words:

This film came from a deeply personal place while dealing with the grief of losing my mother to a decade-long battle with cancer.

While The Captives is not an autobiography, there are many elements of myself in the main character, Jolie. When I graduated from college, I thought I would move home for a few months. 4 years later, I was still at home, feeling stuck. When my mom was sick, I couldn't bear to pull myself away. And when I was working and doing what I love, I never wanted to go home. This film came out of the struggle of being in limbo between childhood and adulthood. It is my own telling of a coming-of-age and coming-out story. 

This film is an ode to the women in my life. Much like Emmilene, my mother instilled in me grace and relentlessness through anything and everything. She taught me to never lose my sense of humor, no matter how hard life might get. Like Isabelle, my teachers taught me to face who I truly am, despite the narrative my ego might tell me. And the journey of pursuing an acting career taught me to be persistent and hard-working. As I have shared this story with others, I have been touched, and surprised by how much the story resonates with other people. My hope with this film is that people will relate to and find comfort in the characters' journeys. 

Writer Claire Hampsey with her mother, Eileen. 

Why Now? 

Central to the story is Jolie and Isabelle's love for each other. On the rare occasion they are told in Hollywood, lesbian romances are often over-sexualized and fetishized. We want to combat that narrative. With the current state of our nation and the attacks on the LGBTQ+ community, we want to show what queer love is: love like any other. 

Budget

Our goal is to ultimately raise $50K. We have already secured $25K and we are asking for your help with the other half. The minimum we would need to raise through this fundraiser to produce the film is $12K. See below for a breakdown of those budgeting tiers. 

Budget Breakdown:

$12k - We are making a movie! It is simple, but with very careful budgeting, it can be done. 

$12k-$15k - We are able to hire a professional editor and colorist to set the tone of the film. 

$15k-$20k - We can secure our dream locations and provide lodging for the cast and crew. 

$20k-$25k - We are able to afford the camera, lighting, and grip that will bring the producton of the next level. 

$25k+ - We are able to take the film on the festival circuit and cover the many costs that come with it. 

Theme 

This film is about pursuing who and what you love despite incredible obstacles thrown your way. The mood of The Captives conveys that even when things are dark, there is always a light somewhere within us to keep us motivated and inspired to keep going. Jolie's light at the beginning of the film is almost extinguished. The shots are stationary and calm. When she moves to NYC, the shots are wild and vibrant, but Emmilene's are getting dimmer and dimmer. It is about finding the balance between finding that light and burning yourself down.

Mood Board

History

When Jolie returns to New York City and is cast alongside Isabelle In The Captive: Part II, tensions run high and old feelings come cascading to the surface.

The play within the film is based on a 1926 play, The Captive, by Édouard Bourdet. In the original play, the main character, Irene, Is trapped in a loveless marriage to her husband, Jacques, while secretly in love with a woman named Daphne. Jacques begins to question where her desires lie and although Irene comes clean and confesses her love for Daphne, Daphne never actually makes an appearance In the play.

Despite the female love interest only being alluded to, the play was considered morally corrupt, and the Broadway production was shut down by the NYPD after a 17-week run. The actors were tossed in a Paddy Wagon with Mae West, who was arrested on the same night for her show Sex. The Captive: Part II Is a combination of Bourdet's original work and the screenwriter's Imagination to Include Daphne as a fully living, breathing character, played by Isabelle.

Characters  

Jolie Clifford

• The protagonist of the film, Jolie put her dreams on hold when her mother, Emmilene, was diagnosed with breast cancer. 
• Although she attended Juilliard's drama school, she is as far away from New York, and her passions, as she can be. 
• Once Emmilene forces her to leave Texas, she realizes just how much the world kept turning when her's seemed to stop. 
• She is a closeted lesbian who is hardly even out to herself.

Emmilene Clifford

• Jolie's mother. 
• Loves fiercely. 
• Selfless and gentle with others.
• She has been battling cancer for 10 years but never lost her sense of humor or kindness.
• She never reveals the magnitude of her situation to Jolie. To her, Jolie's well-being is what is important and she chooses to suffer in silence rather than worry her daughter. 

Isabelle Arnold

• "An enigma wrapped in messy black curls." 
• She and Jolie were once very close friends but had a falling-out when Jolie professed her love for her 10 years earlier. 
• When the film begins, she has recently skyrocketed to fame. We are introduced to her as a guest on a late-night talk show. 
• As the film progresses, tensions run high when Jolie and Isabelle are cast opposite each other in a play. 

Development Process

Currently, we are a team of 3 women. Talia Light Rake (Producer/Director), Emily Kordovich (Director of Photography), and Claire Hampsey (Screenwriter/Actor). We are in the process of hiring a diverse cast and crew to reflect the story we want to tell. 

Next up: location scouting, casting, gear and equipment rental. Shooting in early June. Editing, will take place over the summer, and then we can submit to film festivals in the fall, at which point the film will be viewable to all. 

*Contributors at the "VIP" level ($250+) will be able to see the film prior to taking it to festivals. 

Our long-term plan is to produce the feature film that this short film is based on. How successful we can be is heavily dependent upon the success of this campaign. 

Safety 

This production will follow all guidelines implemented by SAG-AFTRA. We are working with a covid compliance officer to keep the cast and crew as safe and healthy as possible.

This film started to gain traction in 2020 and had been put on hold many times due to the pandemic. After the industry we all love was shut down, we are thrilled to finally get into production, taking every precaution we can to avoid any further delays, while keeping everyone safe. 

This story is all about taking a scary leap into the unknown. Thank you for making this jump with us.  

Please share our story and help us make this long-awaited dream a reality!