I am currently working on a short film called Reds and Blues. I wanted to make an emotive horror film that dealt with both the trauma of the mind as well as the body and make light of the moodier, undefined areas of the heart. The narrative is frenzied, just like a good melodrama should be. But this time my melodrama has verged into horror...
Synopsis-
Reds and Blues focuses on Anna, a woman with an enlarged heart. The enlarged heart affects Anna both physically and emotionally. She experiences shortness of breath and heart "spells" that leave her anxious and fatigued. Since her heart is bigger, her emotions are heightened. She feels more, loves more. Because of past experiences, she has been hurt in love and faults her own heart. Anna has chosen to have shallow relationships, ones in which she does not need to use her heart. To that end, she sleeps with her landlord Earl for a distraction and to get a break on her rent.
She is a dental hygienist and she works for a sadistic and overbearing Dentist, Dr. Pico. He is vicious and his procedures are bloody and she often leaves work covered in blood and haunted by the patient's screams. Unfortunately her emotive heart and mind is plagued by the patient's distress and she often wakes from nightmares.
One consolation or bright spot in her day is her conversations with her garbage man and friend, Levin. Levin tries to encourage her and tells her she needs to live, instead of hiding her heart-a big heart can be exciting.
One night, after a long day at work, Anna is walking along some train tracks and she comes across a dazed business man. The man is zoned out, zombie-like. He bumps into Anna and stumbles away, dropping a business card. Anna picks up the card, which has a curious notation, "Emotive Reclamation- Not using your heart? We'll take it!"
Intrigued, Anna calls the number on the business card and finds Natasha and J. Natasha and J are feminist artists who have began work on an interesting if gruesome project. They find men who would like to be heartless; lawyers, CEOs-men who feel it would be beneficial to live life heartlessly. Natasha and J have constructed a laboratory where they physically (and savagely), remove the men's hearts. Then they'll take the hearts and harvest them for their "emotive power". So Emotive Reclamation. Anna is excited to hear about their project because she has felt that she too could do without her heart. But Natasha and J are conflicted, should they take Anna's heart? Does Anna really have no use for it? The artists are careless in regard to the men they work with. But J argues that maybe Anna needs their help, encouragement. J feels that maybe as women, they should be helping her, not taking her heart. Natasha states that by doing what she asks they are helping her. The decision is up to Anna in the end. What does she do? .....
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| From Set- Natasha (Katerina Papadatos), Anna (Clara Alcott/Me) & J (Sarah Weis) |
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