The Garden

The Great Spirits blessed the Am-Waset, and gave this ancient tribe a paradise where they would live in harmony with nature. But for the last seven years, drought has struck the land, and the Am-Waset’s only course has been to pray to the Spirits for their own survival. Only one, Edem, the chief’s eldest son, has discovered the secret to bringing life back to The Garden.

The Garden is a story set in ancient African grasslands around 12,000 BC. The story is of Edem, the first born son of the Am-Waset tribe. Edem imagines a genius solution to the drought that has plagued their lives for the last seven grueling  years: he makes a dam to catch the few fish that still swim in their dying river.  But his father Elihu, the chief, condemns the dam as a transgression against the divine system of natural order; the river, as all of nature, must run its course. And so, ashamed and alone, Edem must leave the Garden.

The Garden, planning to finish production March 15th – 30th, is a short film based on the feature script of the same name, written by director Michael Montgomery. By recalling a basic theme from the tale of Adam and Eve, The Garden is about the human struggle to survive in nature. This story imagines how early humans may have reasoned to take control over nature for the very first time, and explores the depth of the ancient people who lived in those times of simplicity and innocence.

With this thesis project, we intend to demonstrate our ability to capture the themes and visual styles that will be used in the feature, as well to demonstrate our individual capacities to execute and deliver a film exhibiting professional quality in all facets. Our ambitions are high, strengthened by the belief that this project will have a long and prosperous future. This thesis is only one stage of the entire process, and in this crucial beginning, we are seeking your help to support, and in so doing, protect its creative integrity.