At 24, ZAI (Zahira) is already rethinking her entire life after surviving a near death car wreck. She makes a brash and sudden decision to travel home after almost a 3-year absence and compels LU (Lungile) her secret girlfriend of 2 years to put her life on hold to accompany her. Lu is apprehensive, but finally and out of a sense of desperation to finally have a normal relationship, agrees.
They embark on a 2-day journey across the expansive South African vistas learning more about each other, imagining the happy endings and debating the possible outcomes of coming out to Zai’s conservative and Muslim family.
They arrive but things don’t go according to plan.
#DigitalForFilm
“I have had an obsession with the cinematic masters of the celluloid era for as far as I can remember.
Wondering what it was like to hear the reels of film shoot through the cartage on the camera
and what defined their choices to role on a take or call cut.
So, I decided on this project I would marry the freeform made possible by the Indie approach
with the fundamentals and elegance of traditional cinema. Shot on digital as if it was film.
The way I see it, filmmaking technology has evolved but the experimentation in the form has
mostly been at a standstill. I think about what an artist like Coppola (or other Masters of Cinema)
would have done with the technology we have available to us today? That being said, I elected to
implement certain restrictions on this production (so far as we could) to mimic the use of film stock.”
- Khalid EL-Jelailati
The Limitations
My hypothesis is simple. Due to the restrictions that came from using celluloid, filmmakers were forced to be more attentive, more deliberate and most importantly - more meaningful.
Thus, and possibly to your great detriment (As the Cast & Crew), I will be imposing some of these limitations on our film…
· 3 x Take Limit (Per Scene)
· 8 Minute Filming ratio per Card/Reel (The Card must
be switched out at 8minute capacity, just as a Film-Reel
would need to be.)
· We will only be using 3 x Lens in the entirety of the
production. (14mm / 24mm / 50mm)
· There will be no playbacks.
This may seam extreme and I admit that it may well be however, I am serious and even fanatical about the preservation of a certain filmmaking culture and standard.
We must be heedful of our responsibilities & learn to be in the moment.