The short film “Life and the Lady” is about a young woman who falls into a lake and begins the process of drowning. She cannot swim, and in her challenge, a voice begins to beckon her to “take the breath.” (A breath that would, in her mind, end her life.) It is also somewhat of a mystery, because we do not know HOW she got into the water, only that she is fighting to survive. The voice reminds her of the choices that were made that led to this situation, and we find out as the story unfolds.
The Intent:
This is a film about the reluctance of one soul to make the transition to a new phase of existence. In the process, the story accentuates humanity’s fear of death, and the liberation from that fear. In such, it is less about death (itself) and more about the full and complete living of life through surrender. The surrounding narrative will illustrate this. It is my belief and experience that our western perception of death is the greatest myth of our time, and the main root of all of our fears. If we can become free of this fear, we can live life being fully ‘present’ in the moment.
“The fear of death follows from the fear of life. A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.”
~ Mark Twain
This project is MORE than a film, it is being created as a catalyst of perception towards the manner in which we view our end. My highest hope for this film is for it to be cathartic in some form, and bring ‘hope’ to combat the ‘fear’ of death.
There is a drought happening now in film making. Philosophy and thought-provoking filmmaking often gets replaced by guns, drugs, courtrooms, and CSI-everything. Faith has been replaced by complacency and fear. By ‘faith,’ I mean faith in something greater than ourselves that is neither definable nor definitive – without doctrine or dogma.
Michelantony Dunston
Director / Writer / Producer