Because I Love You | Short Film

by Atharv Pujari in London, Greater London, United Kingdom

Because I Love You | Short Film
We did it
On 19th August 2024 we successfully raised £125 with 4 supporters in 42 days

A lonely girl in space finds love and healing with a mysterious alien.

by Atharv Pujari in London, Greater London, United Kingdom

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"Because I Love You" is a captivating sci-fi rom-com centred around Nova, a young woman navigating the vast expanse of space. Stranded on a spaceship filled with remnants of a once-lively human crew, Nova's journey takes an unexpected turn when she encounters an alien being. As she grapples with her isolation and the memories of her past, an unlikely bond forms between her and the alien, leading to moments of profound connection and emotional revelation. This film blends elements of survival, introspection, and the transformative power of love, all set against the stunning backdrop of interstellar travel.

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The vision and concept of the movie "Because I Love You" revolves around Nova, a young woman stranded alone on a spaceship for ten years after a catastrophic event wipes out her fellow passengers, including her parents. The film explores themes of isolation, survival, and the search for connection. Nova's journey takes a turn when she encounters an alien, leading to an unexpected bond that offers her a glimmer of hope and companionship amidst her solitude. The narrative combines elements of science fiction, psychological drama, and emotional introspection, highlighting Nova's resilience and the profound impact of unexpected relationships in the most desolate circumstances

The film takes place in outer space. It revolves around 1 location –, we have the 'Bridge Command' Spaceship which is a new, immersive spaceship experience in London. These are some pictures of our amazing set:

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You can find out more about The Bridge Command Immersive Spaceship here: https://bridgecommand.space

Naturalistic acting will capture people in their weird moments, embracing their quirks—humming badly, sitting on the loo, dressing messily, and making odd sounds as they go about their day. These unfiltered people share a space where they are perfectly comfortable with each other. The style is very personal, messy, colourful, and real. The lead girl embodies this with her wrongly fitting clothes, from huge baggy t-shirts to small shorts and graphic t-shirts. She's a tomboy who doesn't care what people think.

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Photo Reference: 'Hoard' by Luna Carmoon

The teenage girl aesthetic is vintage and personal, an unexpected choice for a spaceship film. The idea is to avoid the modern, shiny, high-tech look typically expected, opting instead for a style that's unique and authentically expressive.

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Photo Reference: 'Venetian Men' by Celia Willis

The film will have shots that play with symmetry, creating a neat and satisfying visual experience. 

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Photo Reference: 'Nosebleed' by Luna Carmoon

The romance between Nova and the alien will be like the understated, subtle romance between Charlotte and Bob from 'Lost in Translation'. Most of their feelings for each other go unsaid, but the audience can feel it.

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Photo Reference: 'Lost In Translation' by Sofia Coppola

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For the audience to be fully immersed in the story before them, we want to make the Alien look realistic. We will source a realistic mask, hands and even alien feet! Initially the Alien will wear a sleek space suit, but once he grows closer to Nova he will start wearing her human clothes, including jumpers, funny graphic T-shirts and pyjamas, to highlight their intimacy.

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‘I don’t want to go back. There is nothing I love on Earth, more than I love you.’ 

Despite this film being set in an incredible, high-tech spaceship, it is not necessarily what you would expect from a Sci-Fi film. Ultimately, it is a love story. Two completely different beings, who come from different planets and speak different languages, develop a deep and passionate connection. The comfort they find in one another leads them to prioritise their relationship over returning to their home planets. 

I hope the film will push audiences to love whoever they want to love regardless of what the rest of the world thinks. Love is personal and it should not be up to other people, whether that be family members or governments, to dictate your romantic choices. Whilst the film speaks to these deeper issues, I also hope the Alien’s kooky dance moves, magical alcohol-generating fingers, and rather strange sexual preferences… will make audiences laugh!

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CO-DIRECTOR

Alanna Schneider

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‘Because I Love You’ will be the third short film Alanna has written and directed. Her first film ‘Violin’ won her the Best Young Filmmaker Award at the Cinematography and Photography Awards, whilst ‘Bonnie and Orville’, which aims to expose the horrors of animal cruelty, is currently touring the film festival circuit. She is passionate about films that are highly stylised, dark and wacky! View Alanna's previous film here: 

https://vimeo.com/949293689

CO-DIRECTOR

Claudia Kurucz 

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Claudia Kurucz is an accomplished filmmaker, actress and theatre director. As a founder of Coin Toss Collective, an innovative and genre-defying theatre company, she has had performances put on at the Bristol Old Vic, Tobacco Factory Theatre, Vault Festival, and the Bush Theatre. Drawing from her theatrical background, Claudia's films are driven by ideas of spectacle and visual storytelling, creating her first short film 'Grandma's Footsteps' in 2021 as the director and lead actor. She is currently in post on her second short film, THIS IS RUBBISH, which explores climate anxiety set against the backdrop of a fairground. She is excited to collaborate with other creatives, incorporating her signature use of movement, surrealism and clowning into a film format. View Claudia's previous work here: 

https://youtu.be/QEin6mIIxXI?feature=shared https://www.cointosscollective.com/

PRODUCER

Jake Schneider

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Jake entered the industry by working as a researcher for ITV, before co-founding Timestorm Productions, a unique film production company that has crafted countless music videos for famous musicians, filmed the iconic Judi Dench and recently led Jake to India to film a feature length documentary. 

https://www.instagram.com/timestorm_productions/

PRODUCER

Atharv Pujari

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Atharv Pujari seeks out media projects to uncover the intricate details of storytelling and loves productions that inspire a deeper connection with the world and those around us. These are the kinds of narratives he aims to bring to life. Having produced and contributed to numerous acclaimed projects like Bridgerton Season 2 and Fast X during his tenure at OutPost VFX and refined his skills at the London Film Academy, he is excited to utilize his experience and passion to craft compelling stories with the depth and resonance they deserve and 

I love films that skill fully intertwine intense drama with heartwarming stories, “Because I Love You” is one of those projects. Having been involved with the development from the initial concept, I am excited to lead an exceptional team to bring Alanna and Claudia's powerful and poignant vision to the screen.”

PRODUCTION DESIGNER 

Mette Rutter

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Mette Rutter is a passionate Production Designer who loves bringing to life a film’s character through its set. Having enjoyed building little scenes since she was a toddler, she has now expanded into the world of film. Recent work includes various student films, and assisting a graduate set build at NFTS. She cannot wait for this next project!

COMPOSER 

Luke Illingworth

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Luke Illingworth is a Composer and Audio Designer based in the UK, and the drummer for the renowned band Fearless Vampire Killers. With a passion for creating captivating music for film, TV, and games, Luke blends creativity and technical expertise to craft immersive sound experiences that resonate with audiences.

SCRIPT SUPERVISOR 

ZuZu Usmar

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ZuZu Usmar is dedicated to all aspects of filmmaking. From earning a Bachelor's degree at Royal Holloway in liberal arts (majoring in media arts), ZuZu has built up solid film experience working freelance on sets as 2nd AC, script supervisor, 1st AD, and with their background in music has composed multiple scores for independent short films. 

A Message From The Because I Love You Team

Thank you so much for taking the time to read through our page! Thanks to your support, we will have the opportunity to create a film that does justice to a story that we are all truly passionate about - without you, none of this would be possible, and we are so grateful for every donation.

We are excited to take you on this journey with us and we look forward to sharing the final film with you soon.

Thank you,
The Because I Love You Team

Rewards

This project offers rewards in return for your donation. Please select a reward below.

£5 or more

A BIG THANK YOU !

Thank you for donating to our film, every £5 makes a big difference - it also helps us feed our always very hungry crew. Your Support means so much to everyone involved, we couldn't do it without you!

£15 or more

DIGITAL COPY OF THE FILM

With this donation, you will receive a digital copy of the film upon completion as well as the everlasting gratitude of the crew!

£30 or more

INVITE TO THE SCREENING IN A SPACESHIP AND POSTER

With the donation, you will receive a digital copy of the film upon completion along with a digital copy of the screenplay and the poster,. You will also be given a free ticket to the screening of the film in the very spaceship itself! This will be attended by cast, crew, donors and other people in the film industry.

£100 or more

TICKETS TO THE BRIDGE COMMAND IMMERSIVE EXPERIENCE

With this donation, you will be given 2 FREE TICKETS to the Bridge Command Immersive Spaceship experience in London (These 2 tickets worth up to £120!). You will receive a digital copy of the film upon completion along with a digital copy of the screenplay and the poster,. You will also be given a free ticket to the screening of the film in the very spaceship itself!

£250 or more

ASSOCIATE PRODUCER

With this donation, you will be credited as ASSOCIATE PRODUCER in the film's closing credits AND you will be entitled to all our prior rewards mentioned in our lower tiers, including an 2 FREE BRIDGE COMMAND TICKETS (worth up to £120) and an invite to the film screening in the very spaceship itself!

£500 or more

EXECUTIVE PRODUCER

With this donation, you will be credited as EXECUTIVE PRODUCER in the film's closing credits AND you will be entitled to all our prior rewards mentioned in our lower tiers, including an 2 FREE BRIDGE COMMAND TICKETS (worth up to £120) and an invite to the film screening in the very spaceship itself!

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