P is for Paradise

Cornelius is a born fighter and family man who is now facing Parkinson’s disease. He is entering a battle of acceptance, having to redefine his identity and to relinquish the pride of being independent for 60 years. Now he has to put his life in the hands of his wife and daughter.

P is for Paradise is a documentary about the fear of loss and the director’s family experience with it. Cornelius has been dealing with the deterioration of his body and mind that has forced him to adapt considerable changes to his life. This diagnosis has had a major impact on his identity – as the personality and character everyone knows, as a husband and as a dad. For his wife and daughter, it’s the constant feeling of knowing the inevitable and bitter future of this progressive and terminal condition.

The film will follow the father and daughter relationship between Cornelius and Nina, as they bring back the memories from her childhood through conversations and photographs. This journey is triggered by the disappearance of Blanquito, Nina’s toy mouse who was brought to life with the stories her dad told her about the fantasy world he lived in when all the lights turned off.

I believe making this is an opportunity for myself to not only take my development as a filmmaker further but to discover a lot about my family in the process. Ever since I found out about my dad’s disease, my outlook on life has drastically changed.

My purpose for the documentary is to give recognition to the individuals and families that are coping with chronic and terminal conditions and raise awareness on the cognitive and personal effects Parkinson’s disease carries. 

This film will give you a chance to stop and connect with your inner self, taking you through a journey of acceptance and staying true to what brings us all as humans together: love. 

We'll follow the day to day life of Cornelius from his home to his work to the time he spends at the gym. Since we intend to keep the tone as intimate and raw as possible, we'll mainly utilize handheld camera techniques. Almeria is known for its microclimate; therefore, the outdoors will be a predominant feature for the visual look of the film. The colour scheme is warm adding on to the candid atmosphere that will provide a sense of familiarity hand in hand with the themes pursued. However we'll also play around with cooler color temperatures to challenge the mood of the atmosphere when needed.

This film takes place in a small town in Almeria, Spain. Our budget will mainly be directed to cover travel expenses to fly the crew over to Spain to provide the best visual immersive experience for you, the viewer. 

The shooting schedule lasts 10 full days, during which we’ll need a place to stay to recharge our batteries and supply catering for our crew. Lastly, in order to achieve the look of our film we’ll need the funds to hire lighting equipment. 

Our goal is not only to raise enough money for our film but to raise extra funds to send to organizations and charities involved in the research of Parkinson’s disease to help the cause and raise awareness. Help us fight for a better future! 

Nina Caprice | Director

I'm Nina, the daughter of Cornelius and director of this documentary. In our family, it's a common practise for us to spend hours around the table after dinner, sharing the most random of anecdotes. That might just be the reason of why I'm attracted to documentary filmmaking so much; I love hearing the stories of people and visualising them in my head. Directing this documentary allows me to open the doors, not only to my house but to my imagination in hopes you'll enjoy your time in it as much as I do!

Rosie Wright | Producer

Hi, I’m Rosie the Producer for 'P is for Paradise'. My goal is to make the impossible, possible. I have been helping our director Nina develop her documentary idea for the past 6 months - from a basic idea to one about the importance of family. I was drawn to this project because of the personal and emotional link and how family plays a massive part in most people's lives, as well as my love for documentaries. My overall aim for this is to produce something that is authentic at its core and raises awareness of Parkinson’s disease.  

Elison Bartolomeu | Director of Photography

Hey, here is Élison from Portugal/Angola. I am the guy that helps our dope director with her visual language. I take some weight off her shoulders and come up with mathematical diagrams about lighting and camera to make them look sharp and clean. The aim at the end of the day is making you feel something out of the ordinary and provoke change through our craft, and I am certain this film will make you cry, laugh and contemplate what you see. Yes, I go crazy for good cameras and stories!

Ashlee Chisakuwana | Gaffer

I’m the gaffer for the documentary ‘P is for Paradise’. As lighting is a part of the main elements within film development, I’m endeavoured to bring my knowledge and skills to this documentary. As someone who has always been close to my family and has been wrapped up around their support, I’m driven to working on this film as it revolves around the importance of family through tough times. I’m eager to help bring this story to, what I love doing, light.

Craig Schwartz | Editor 

As the editor, it will be my role to discover the best way in which the story can be told from all the film’s footage. I have always been fascinated with this process and my passion for building narratives and emotions in the edit suite has only since increased whilst studying at AUB. For me the most enjoyable films are those that focus on personal and authentic stories, therefore I was immediately drawn to the idea of working on 'P is for Paradise'. The emotive and personal nature of the film is why I'm excited to be working with this great crew in order to help tell and deliver this story for Nina and for the audience.

Cee Ward: Sound Designer/Recordist

Sound is just as impactful on the cinematic experience and storytelling as picture, and the marriage of the two creates something magical. My interest in sound comes from my love of horror films and the creepy suspense created by the smallest noise. In my three years at AUB I have developed skills to make films that don't just sound good but bring everything together and create an experience for everyone. With a main grounding in fiction films, documentary filmmaking for sound is something unique and different from anything I have ever tried before. P is for Paradise pulled me in with its story being so personal to the director. This a very raw and emotional documentary that I think would bring out a genuine and exceptional story.