POETRY PROJECT

A project based on a three line poem

THE IDEA

Keeping you alive in my heart

Time does not change

The number of tears.

This three line poem by Marian Yap inspired me to come up with an idea for a shortfilm. Death is an inevitable part of life, but loosing someone is such an abstract concept, since the memories and emotions tied to a relationship stay after someone has passed.

The premise of the story is that of a young girl wondering around an empty city full of strange rooms holding her memories. Small canals of water flow through all the streets. As she explores, she keeps encountering her deceased grandmother in the distance. Every time she tries to get closer she is swept up in the water flowing through the city. In one instance she gets pulled under the water and discovers an entirely submerged city overgrown with what look like massive arteries and veins. Back on dry land she sees her grandmother working in a vegetable patch. As she comes closer, the garden hose errupts with water quickly submerging her body. With gritted teeth she finally manages to reach her grandmother for a final embrace before both are engulfed in a giant wave. There is a wide shot of the complete island and as the camera pans out we see it is actually a representation of the girls heart. The girl meanwhile is sitting in the grass beneath the dappled shade of a tree surrounded by the chirping noises of grasshoppers. A silver plaque is affixed to the thick trunk showing the picture and the birth and death date of her grandmother.

CHARACTER DESIGNS

STORYBOARD

For the environment I was inspired by cities in Morocco. I chose warm tones not only to allude to the redness of blood but also to create a reminiscent setting, like a sunset on a summers day. The whole structure is this floatimg island in the shape of a heart with streams depicting the main arteries. The image below shows a scene in which the main character falls into one of the streams into an underwater city which is overgrown with pulsating arteries.