FILM: WOMEN AT WAR
LOGLINE
As their lives crumble around them, three women from different parts of the world set out to wrest control of their lives from a dominant social order designed to keep them mired in hopelessness and complacency.
An engaged, repressed Middle Eastern woman; a young, pregnant, and desperate African wife; and a fearless Latin American university student embark on three parallel jour- neys, attempting to migrate from their respective countries while fighting against self-proclaimed enforcers of the law.
SOME STORIES
“We were on our feet all day, protesting. Reminding them of our right to drinking water. And I needed to pee. I asked the military if I could use their bathroom. Those sons of bitches took out their weapons and held them in my face, urging me to back up. My bladder was about to explode, so I lowered my pants and peed on them. You should’ve seen their faces!”
Carolina, 67, Venezuela
Timo stayed in a day center for young boys. His father had sold his mother for prostitution. Many days, the kids would make necklaces and bracelets. Timo would freeze, taken over by extreme shyness. When no one was looking, he’d sneak in a few beats in his pocket, but never seemed to do anything with them.
The day we left Romania, my luggage was unbearably heavy and I couldn’t lift it up. A strange noise came out of it, when I opened it, Timo was inside, holding a necklace that he offered as a present. He asked it I could take him home with me, but we were caught by one of the residents before we had time to device a plan.
Romania
When the young men with a motorcycle I had met only a few hours ago, dropped me off as inland as he could get in Maasai Mara territory, I was completely lost. For a day, I minded my business in a village where no one would come close to me and babies cried when exposed to my pale skin.
Thankfully, a women appeared in the horizon. Her name was Mama Nalakette, third wife of the only adult male in her village. She took me in, dressed me in their attire and even shared her bed, made out of trunks of trees. It took her baby grandson three days to get used to me. When he did, he got used to peeing on me every time I picked him up. It happens, a child with no diapers feels free to let go anytime anywhere. What became somewhat of a struggle, was the fact that there was not enough water to clean myself, let alone the one outfit I wore. No wonder no one would pick me up when I tried to hitch hike on my way back.
Kenya
TRIPS THAT INSPIRED THE PROJECT
Script Reviews
“Throughout the script, you handle the marrying of serious character drama and dark social satire elements in a satisfying, voice-defining fashion. Your concept is a challenging, often-brutal one, so this stylistic lens helps us experience the narrative in a more accessible manner”.
“There's a sense of deep, human connection between each of your three main characters - allowing their stories to blend more effectively as a result. The humanism of your piece is made apparent not only within the individual arcs of each main character, but in the way their distinct arcs elevate the arcs of each other main character as well”
Score: 8.30/10
Contest ScreenCraft Screenwriting Fellowship (2020)