Arts University Bournemouth has provided £1,200 of match funding
Time Ago
Bournemouth, Dorset, United Kingdom
Aim: A story about a young man on a journey of acceptance, but along the way he must reconnect with his family and confront his grief.
TIME AGO follows Idris, a determined young man in his early twenties, who has finally come home after a long time away at university. Despite being home he is reluctant to enter his house and remains in his car. Whilst attempting to leave he is confronted by his vibrant and spontaneous older sister, Sally. His sister invades his space and despite Idris’s best efforts she figures out where he’s going and decides to join. Their plan is cut short when the car stops working and soon after they’re confronted by Zainab their hardworking and caring mother. As we progress through the story we find out the family is moving houses. However, by helping, Idris must confront what he has been avoiding. His grief.
This story began as something one of my family members told me. They said years ago that they would look out of a window and hope to see a loved one they lost at a young age. I remember hearing that for the first time and the only thing I could think about was being haunted by a ghost, so of course I was confused why anyone would want that to happen. Unfortunately years later I experienced a major loss of my own and all of a sudden those words that confused me I understood. Sometimes I find it difficult to believe a major part of my life isn’t here anymore so an opportunity to see them again wouldn’t be something I’m afraid of. Instead it would be similar to seeing a loved one, that has passed away, in a dream.
I struggled to put my experience of dealing with grief into words until I came across this analogy.
The jar represents you and your mind and the ball represents your grief. There’s the belief that as time goes on the grief becomes smaller and you eventually get over it. However this wasn’t my experience.
My understanding of grief is with time you will find acceptance, helping you grow as a person and eventually making it possible to grow around your grief instead of just getting over it.
This story will be told through the lens of a close knit family. An older sister a younger brother and a mother. We will see how they grow throughout the film and how each of them are able to find acceptance and help each other at the same time. We will observe the ups and downs of a brother and sister relationship that will highlight the importance of cherishing the time you spend with loved ones. We will also observe a mother and child relationship that focuses on finding your purpose. Despite going through the difficulties of grieving a loved one, I always made an effort to turn a negative into a positive and grow from the experience and I’m glad one of these positives will be the making of TIME AGO.
TIME AGO is a family drama that showcases the relationships within an African household. The visual style takes influences from the work of Horace Ove and Menelik Shabazz. Particularly their films Pressure and Burning an illusion where the stylistic approach is very observational. The aim visually is to be grounded in reality and observe the interactions between each family member and how that changes throughout the story. The only way that’s possible is for the audience to feel as if they’re right next to the characters.
TIME AGO is a very contained story taking place in a small number of locations over a short period of time therefore it’s a very character driven narrative however there are a number of visual aspects that are vital to the storytelling.
TIME AGO is set around a council estate in London. This location serves the purpose of representing Idris’s emotional state, as in the beginning of the film he is more closed off. The exterior visuals will reflect this as the colder tones along side the brutalist architecture represent a felling of silence and isolation however, there will still be a sense of community. Towards the end of the film we will see a change to the exterior which introduces warmer tones of orange as a result of the sunset representing a step in the direction of acceptance and the expression bottled up emotions.
The car, that was passed down to Idris from His older sister Sally, will be used to showcase both of their personalities and culture. The car represents Idris’s safe space as he chooses to remain in the car instead of enter his home. We will see how the dynamics change when Sally is introduced and when Idris is forced out of his comfort zone.
In the home we will we get a greater sense of the characters culture however we will spend most of the time in Sally’s bedroom were we find out what Idris has been running away from.
In this story the sunset represents the end of a journey. Similar to the sun setting and the day ending the end of life is also inevitable. Despite knowing this inevitability there is beauty that can be found at an end, such as a Sunset. When someone passes away theres also an opportunity to celebrate a life that was lived. The colour orange is associated with positivity therefore in the home and towards the end of the film the orange tones will play part in emphasising positivity, acceptance and growth.
Let’s not forget to mention the very exciting collaboration with the London based streetwear brand WALL STREET MAFIA. With their help we will be able to truly bring this project to life.
Why dedicate your time and money into this film? This is a big ask, we understand but we feel that this is a story many can resonate with and find comfort in. Grief unfortunately is an experience many have to go through, but when stories like this are told- it goes to show that no one is truly alone and that grief is not a linear experience, there’s no right way to go through it. Everyone, no matter your culture or background, is allowed to move at their own pace, in their own way, no matter how long it takes. Therefore, by giving our film a chance, this could be something for you or someone you know to find comfort in.
Helping us to make this film would mean that we can tell this story to the very best of its ability. Factors of the film such as casting, location, production design, cinematography, sound, editing and more, will be crucial to the telling of our story- this is why every donation big or small will help tremendously with our project. Even by sharing our Crowdfunder or Instagram page- @time.ago.film, you will help us gain a following for our film that will help us reach a larger audience! Any type of support on our film will be greatly appreciated.
As mentioned before, our film is has money departments that require different amounts of funding each. To help paint a better picture, we have created a budget plan to help you understand what we need this amount of money for!
As seen above, this is specifically what our budget is aiming to cover. Not only is the making of the film important, but factors such as the wellbeing of the crew is essential, for example, being able to fully cater for the cast and crew by providing substantial lunches would help to improve crew performance massively, additionally because of the long filming days that cover 10 hours.
On the topic of this, you may be wondering who these hard-working crew-members are going to be, let's take you through to meet the crew!
I’m Ibrahim, the writer and director of TIME AGO. Throughout my childhood I have always been passionate about anything creative which is why I enjoyed studying Art and continued until A levels. I loved the meaning I could create in my work and how it impacted others. Despite my love for painting, I realised that it was meaning that I cared the most about and storytelling was the best medium for that, which lead me to filmmaking. I am very passionate about having the right representation in Film and Television and it has bothered me how little I see that in British films. However, instead of complaining I have decided that I want to be a part of the change I want to see in the industry and my first step to achieving this is TIME AGO.
This story has occupied my mind for a while and I’m very excited to be finally telling it. However, I’m most excited about showcasing my community in the way I’ve been waiting to see for a very long time.
As an older sister myself, I connected to Time Ago in a very personal way. The bond between an older sister and younger brother is a very special one- no matter how much older my little brother gets; I will always feel the responsibility to look out for him and be there to protect him. This is why when I first read the script, I knew that this was a story that had to be brought to life, as it’s a story that I and I’m sure many others will be able to resonate with. Not only with this sibling connection but with the difficult themes of grief too.
I feel very privileged to be in the position of a producer on this film and getting to work closely with the very talented Ibrahim to help bring his vision to life. Filmmaking is something I continue to feel extremely passionate about and through producing, I can ensure the film can be made in the way it’s meant to, with all of the crews love and passion for this film combined, I know that we can create something amazing.
Thank you so much to anyone who supports this film in any way, I can’t wait for everyone to see it and connect with it and love it the same way we do.
After living in multiple different countries around the world I have grown to appreciate people's stories and their experiences. Time Ago offered a story of sibling relations and dealing with grief in a unique and not often explored background. As Co Producer it is my responsibility help oversee the project from pre-production all the way to post. I want to ensure that the production goes smoothly, and I can iron out any bumps that may occur. In addition I have to support the directors creative vision and bring their film to life as the way they intended it to be.
I'm Michael, and I am 1st Assistant Director. I will be risk assessing, scheduling, and and generally organising the shoot. During the shoot, I will be making sure we stick to the schedule and manage the set. I wanted to work on this film because I love personal and intimate stories - especially when you can tell the storyteller is passionate about their tale. Ibrahim's story is clearly very personal to him, and it is that spark that always births great art. I am very excited to be working with the crew of 'Time Ago' and am determined to ensure we do this script justice.
Working on this movie is an opportunity to express something many people will at some point their life need to deal with. The loss of a person we care about is a painful experience and we all have our way to express our emotions. As the Director of Photography, I would like to challenge myself to specifically create an atmosphere we can all be sensitive to. Because this fiction is also a link to real life experiences and it is important to not only make a movie but also create something people can see themselves in, in a natural way. I’m happy to be a part the team, I would like the movie to live his life and become a reference for people.
Hey, I’m Daisy, and I’m thrilled to be working as Production Designer for ‘Time Ago’. This film is a touching, heartfelt piece that I’m so pleased to be a part of. What drew me to it was the engaging and wholesome connection between ‘Time Ago’s’ protagonists, Siblings Idris and Sally. Encapsulating Sally’s energetic and lively personality through the production design of her bedroom, is one of the really exciting undertakings, that I can’t wait to begin.
Starting out as a self-taught cinematographer for animation, I joined Bournemouth Film School to make the jump to live action camera and lighting. My favourite part of film (not including the story, of course) has always been lighting. There is so much information you can give an audience through the use of lights, from creating atmosphere, to subtly reinforcing a character’s beliefs, values, and emotions. Time Ago is such an important film to be made, with a message that is incredibly valuable to anyone experience loss. I believe this importance combined with the film’s strong visual themes, representing, and contrasting a story of grief and hope gives Time Ago a chance to be absolutely spectacular; and that’s something I want to be a part of.
I'm Joe Charlton, and I will be the running the production sound as well as the sound design on this project. Having worked on a broad range of films, when hearing of this story I became interested as the film tackles the important aspect of grief. What intrigued me was the fact in which the house evokes a feeling of uncertainty when it should be a safe place. And that the car provides blanket of safety for the main character. I believe aurally this film has a lot to offer. With what will be very dialogue heavy, it will be exciting playing with the realism of this film while incorporating a more internal set of emotive sound design.
As editor, I feel very privileged to be a part of this special film. I was swept up in the bond between these characters and knew from the moment I read the script that I had to be involved in telling this story. I feel that this story tackles a side of grief that is rarely seen on film and is one that is universal to all those who have lost a loved one. With this being a film about grief, I love that the tone is uplifting and overall, about finding light in the dark. I am excited to bring my skills as an editor to this project and help to create something really moving.