Interlude for Sonia

Aim

A short alternative film about the struggle and beauty of artistic creation.

If you have ever doubted what you have to offer to the world or whether or not you have anything to offer at all this is a story for you.

Interlude for Sonia deals with themes of isolation, loneliness and failure of connection as manifested in the artistic act.

It is a story for and about artists but more importantly it is a story about audience and its invaluable often unseen contribution to all works of art.

Characters:

• Sonia (50)
• Sofia (23)
• Marcus (20)

Sonia spends her days locked in an attic above her vinyl store, playing a piano that seems to make no sound. She keeps a watchful eye on her employee Marcus, ensuring he obeys the no music policy, so that she can focus on the silent melody she is composing. However, her silence is interrupted when Sofia, a young woman who has recently lost all her money, offers to play music in return for shelter at the store, and refuses to take no for an answer. 

Sofia's presence begins to change the atmosphere in the store, allowing music to find its way back, much to Sonia's disliking. She becomes increasingly horrified and agitated with her employees, fighting against them, and their music. Can their rebellion be enough to battle Sonia's control and help her find her love for music again?

                                      Georges Braque- Le Duo, 1937

Background

Many artists are known not to have kept their work or to have shared it only under pressure from members of family, friends etc. This love and hate relationship that is part of authorship for many artists is a very important part of the creative act that is rarely expressed in cinema. 

Personally, I often wonder if what I create, my thoughts and emotions are capable of affecting other people’s lives for the best, if they have a purpose on their own especially in times of such distress.

From my experience I have learned that if there is any answer to all these questions it must come from the audience who is some ways always an integral part of the artistic endeavor.

Interlude for Sonia is an attempt to visually express these matters and at the same time to raise awareness of the importance of sharing, an act that is essential to all artistic creation and perhaps one of our most profound human traits.

   
Interlude for Sonia was inspired by magical realism, absurdism, surrealism but also cubism.

Both the characters and settings are highly symbolic in the story. They act as visual metaphors: the costumes, masks and pantomime for the characters, lighting shifts, reflections and optical illusions for the space, will reflect this.

Influences of avangarde theatre are dictating the emotional tone that will move from one extreme to the other from sober and serious to comical or even delirious.  The set design and camera movements will rely on surrealism tropes to construct the oneirism of the space by use of shadow play and an unusual placement of objects.

Costumes

The costumes for the film will act as canvases, onto which layers of symbolism will be created to represent the characters’ human (and inhuman) natures. The symbolisms will attempt to foreshadow and hint at the characters’ true identities and their inner struggles, as well as pay homage to the absurdism and surrealism masters that the film takes its references from. By playing with colours, silhouettes and accessories, each character will link to the other but also maintain their very own unique entity.

Locations

 The vinyl shop can be considered a metaphor for Sonia’s mind. Sonia’s employees are physically tied to the attic, by ropes, therefore limiting their movement and their interaction with the outside world. The employees represent Sonia’s past creations that she never had the courage to share, so they became her prisoners, but Sonia also need her employees to take care of her shop since she is unable to leave the attic. This ambivalent relation is meant to convey the artist’s internal conflict, torn between the need to create in order to function well and the fear of exposure and negative reception.

To make our surrealist film a reality, we need your help. Our film's purpose is to encourage people to share their creative talents with others, your kind donations will enable us to share our own creativity, and most importantly this message with anyone who watches our film. 

The money raised will go to the different departments within our crew, making sure they're all supported and have everything they need to bring our vision to life. 

Even if you can't donate money, you can still support our film by sharing our Crowdfunder page with people you know, and by following our film's Facebook and Instagram accounts to get regular updates of our film's production process. 

Your support goes far beyond funding Interlude for Sonia, it will play a major role in our futures as filmmakers, which we will forever be grateful for.

Larisa-Adelina Bala ~ Writer-Director

Interlude for Sonia is Larisa’s third script dealing with identity and art in her time at AUB. Prior to her university years, her interests were focused on theatre, music and philosophy, fields she has worked towards fusing with the cinematic medium. For her grad film and the first time as a writer director on a bigger scale project, she is dedicated to create a both original and experimental story that will speak to audience as well as artists.

"My aim for this film is to create a representation of this conflict between one’s passion and one’s insecurity by confronting an artist with a person embodying the work she can neither finish nor escape."

"In this project I intend to use my experience as an editor, as well as my theatre background, to create an alternative cinematic experience, working with actors to build an emotional rhythm that will guide the audience through the depths of the story by subconscious associations."

Grace Loader ~ Producer

With previous experiences in producing short films within AUB, as well as personal projects, Grace brings valuable knowledge and practice of artistic creation and collaboration. Also, her skill of problem-solving and the ability to work under pressure always proves useful when producing any film. Films that rely more on visuals and sound, rather than dialogue to tell a story and convey a strong message has always interested her; this is what drew her towards Interlude for Sonia.

“My goal for this film is to successfully manage a team of extremely creative individuals, that can collaborate effectively to produce a film that will be important for all creative individuals to see.”

“Every artist, in some way, feels insecure when sharing their art with others, because you’re letting people see and judge a part of yourself. Whether it’s your past, personality, thoughts, or emotions, they all influence your creations. A huge part of being an artist, and what I realise as a filmmaker, is learning to overcome the fear of critiquing, and not letting the stories that can make a difference to others, stay hidden with you. I believe this is what our film can teach people.”

Tom Blackman ~ 1st Assistant Director

"I am a writer, director, producer and 1st AD from south London whose work often explores cultural identity. As an artist I relate to Interlude for Sonia’s themes of the struggle to reckon with ones own creation. I love the surrealist nature of the project, and as someone whose worked with Larissa before I can’t wait to see her use her many talents to bring this unique vision to life."

Anastasia Sultanova ~ Director of Photography

Anastasia Sultanova is an ambitious and creative cinematographer and photographer with her vision of the world. While spending 5 years behind the camera creating various projects, she was featured in many different magazines like “Berlin Express magazine”. To find her unique style, Anastasia experienced working on multiple short film and music video sets.

"Each of us has experienced something like an invisible wall when trying to create something new. As an art person, I sincerely relate to that. This project allows you to see the artist from the other side, which is only visible when you close your eyes and go deep into yourself."

"From behind the camera, I want to show the bridge that divides reality and dreams. My goal is to make the audience immerse in the story and dissolve in it. In order to achieve that I will apply all the knowledge and skills that I have earned during filming. I am very excited about this project and I hope this idea will hook you as well."

In Hei Cheong ~ Gaffer

In Hei Cheong is an individual who is passionate about the world of cinematography. Through work as a freelance photographer and videographer, and by leading personal projects, commercials and short film productions, he has gained valuable filmmaking experience and an exceptional understanding of lighting, which is essential for this film. Furthermore, his ability to handle pressure under tight deadlines and to make quick decisions on set makes him a well-rounded member of the production team.

"In retrospect I understand the struggles of a language barrier, similar to the character of Sofia. As the gaffer of the production, I aim to bridge the gap between reality and fantasy through the use of dramatic lighting. I want to show the heightened emotions and hope to convey the drama through these effects."

Sam Sutcliffe ~ Production designer

“I've always had an interest in the Subconscious and dreams in my own life, having read a fair amount of Carl Yung in my own time, one of the leading psychologists in the Unconscious. I also enjoyed dreams being played out in film and T.V such as Mulholland Drive and the Soprano’s and have an interest in abstract and surrealist Artwork.”

“I've explored dreams very minutely, in film, before but for the most part it was unsuccessful. Hopefully with Interlude for Sonia’s more compelling script and the ability to mirror the same character twice seen in Sonia/Sofia, as well as mirror a space twice with the Attic/Shop Floor, we can create an environment and a story that builds the characters but also sells an illusionary dream state.”

“I'm looking forward to making a symbolic and eccentric yet surreal short that reflects the same level of understanding of the human psyche.”

Henry Pan ~ Costume designer

Having had work experience in local film productions, an Internship at Wendy Benstead: Costume & Clothing, and designing youth theatre and films in suburban Australia, Henry brings an array of knowledge about both film and costume, to Interlude for Sonia.

"As an experienced chorister of 7 years, the representation of artistic collaboration through musical terms means a lot to me. You almost never sing alone in the choir, and what could be a gorgeous piece will sound violently lacking without harmonies to support the melody. Artistic camaraderie can be sorely lacking in many modern industries, whether it be the fine arts or the broader entertainment world, and it’s great to see a film that seeks to promote this particularly overlooked aspect of artmaking."

"My goal, as the costume designer of Interlude for Sonia, is to create unique costumes that can stand out among other short films, by incorporating my art history, and historical costume knowledge into the film’s costumes as much as possible. I want to maximize the abundant creative potential of the film as an absurd and surreal narrative, by not constraining myself to the traditional structure, and mixing time periods, and cultures, within my designs."

Yoana Rizova ~ Editor

With experience in feature film, festival and music video editing, Yoana understands the intricacies of editing for emotion and working with music. Having an extensive background in script supervising and film editing for a diverse range of genres, as well as with different technical and creative requirements, Yoana is undoubtedly up to the challenge of bringing the story of Sonia to life.

"What attracted me to the film was the beautiful representation of creative expression and everything that comes with it - the highs, the lows, the insecurity, the doubt and the freedom. As an artist, I relate to all this deeply, and as a viewer I want to see something original, touching, encouraging and meaningful. The story of Sonia is an important one as it takes on the questions of identity within one's creativity, the ambiguity of creative expression and the struggles we face when putting ourselves out there through our art. My goal as editor is to make sure the messages of the film are communicated as masterfully as possible, and that the audience is left challenged and inspired."

David Victor ~ Sound Designer

With his vast experience of working as a sound designer for many local short productions, David's knowledge and experience have pushed him to become a perfectionist especially when it comes to sound. From working closely on music videos with successful artists to short film productions, his passion for creating perfect sound fulfils his purpose.

"In this film, I intend to create a soundscape that will portray music in the role of a prisoner, trying to escape its composer’s mind." 

"For me, sound is about creativity and about bringing your ideas to life. I want to feel that I’m doing something that’s of value. That I can feel proud of the work that I have done, that it’s something that’s of good quality, and that I’ve pushed myself and I have done the best thing for the film. Without that satisfaction, it isn’t exciting for me."

                                                               ~~~~~

Even though we're a small crew, we are all hardworking individuals who share the same level of excitement to make an amazing film, that we would love to show to all of you.

Thank you for all your support!

This project successfully funded on 16th December 2021