Fallen Petals
to be screened as a short film

THE CONCEPT
The idea of waiting fro the government to do everything for the masses has eaten deep into the people as community work is no longer recognized. People become very lazy and endanger their lives in the process.

This is the story of a traumatized young girl whose family dies in the course of gully erosion and many people in the village lost their lives, farmlands, and houses. The village is in shamble, no food, no water, no road, no house, and no farmland. In the height of their suffering and trauma a youth on community work comes but they chase her Away saying she is one of the government people who have been ignoring them for a long time but the traumatized young girls tell the villagers that she is a messiah.

SYNOPSIS
The film open on blank screen where Sound of heavy down pour, thunder and a total sound of pandemonium dominate. Fathers, mothers, youths and children alike are calling out their loved ones. It sounds like fury, sounds of landslide and household appliances crashing with each other and then into water. Sound heightens and stops. SILENT: Gradually a sound of a million chirping insects dominates the whole ambience and is overshadowed by the croaking of toads and frogs.

IDOKO, a girl of 13 stands looking down the valley created by erosion. Standing where once stood their house. No sign of people in the whole village as Idoko is carried away with the view, lost in her thought. The whole area looks like a place struck by some plaque.

On a wide shot with a moody music tearing the air as the people chase the youth away. Idoko stops them and tell them that she is serving the nation. Clips of fallen and deserted school building and churches are revealed. After the tension the people agreed and work starts.

Pictures of young boys and girls gathering woods, sand, concretes, sacks and implements fills the screen in a fast movement and stops as the people gather at the erosion site. then The group starts hitting pegs into the earth, putting sand and concretes in sacks and uses them to block the erosion to prevent future occurrence and also clips of people constructing drainage systems, planting of trees and the job is over.

There is calm which is broken by the rumbling of thunder and heavy down pour, the group bath themselves as the rains drops signifying a new dawn. There is total tranquility as Idoko sits in front of her shack with some gift items placed just by the door and Oge looks at her for a while and moves off towards the planted trees. She sits rocking back and front and the tears that have become part of her could be seen rolling back into her eyes. From a distance, sounds of teaching, hymns in Latin and the popular amazing grace song could be heard consecutively.

CAPTION: "WITH COMMUNITY WORK/EFFORTS IN DEVELOPMENT, WE'LL LIVE IN A BETTER WORLD"

PRODUCTION NOTE
The film will have a sepia fill and local acapela songs will be used in driving down the message. The visual style will be in a fast pace rhythm and the mood will depict that of children forgotten by God. The small girl will always be in tears except at the last scene when the tear rolls up. The youth Corper will wear the face of new hope.

No much special effect will be made as the story is based on true life so the locations are already made. Special effects sound will help bring the reality of the film and this will be used judiciously with the help on local music.

The characters are every where so there will be no problem getting them and their costumes of the characters will depict their mood attach particular time they appear on screen.
My music choice will be subtle and a little moody to depict the tempo of the film draw the attention of the audience. Good ambience will also be of great relevance.

Copyright © 2008 Chinedum Iregbu