Film Project: Rescue Me - A short film about the EU crisis

Last year I had the privilege of being able to combine two of my passions, when my friend, Amancay Tapia, asked me to proofread the first draft of the screenplay for a film she was making.



I first met Amancay when I was an exchange student at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where she was studying English Philology. Even back then, she was a highly creative individual, who regularly wrote and performed in various plays. I always thought that she would go on to have a career in the arts, and indeed, she has since become an independent filmmaker with eight short films and a full-length feature, Campo de Batalla (Battlefield) - now available on You Tube, under her belt.

Rescue Me is one of her latest projects and was partly funded via the Kickstarter website. The inspiration behind it comes from Amancay's wish to explore how the financial crisis has affected people on a more personal, human level. It's a subject that many of us can relate to - as I'm pretty sure that, at the very least, we all know someone who has lost a job as a result of the global recession. 

Up to now, the media has typically focused on the collapse of various companies such as Woolworths and Zavvi, or has detailed how banks and other firms have been bailed out. In contrast, little has been said of the actual effect on individuals and families - which has, in some tragic cases, culminated in people taking their own lives.    



Greece and Spain have been hit particularly hard by the crisis, and Rescue Me tells the story of two young women from those countries who have moved to London in search of work. The film stars Tallulah Sheffield and Lindsay Armaou. Tallulah is a graduate of the American  Academy of Dramatic Arts and has had various roles in films and TV series, including Dorian Gray with Colin Firth. Lindsay is an actress and singer, who is probably best known as a member of the chart-topping Irish pop group B*Witched.



Without giving away too much of the plot, Rescue Me is also very much a visual tale, with one pivotal moment in the film being juxtaposed with a mesmerising dance sequence. It is due to be submitted onto the international film circuit this year, so do keep an eye out for it. 

To keep up to date, please "like" the official Facebook page:

And you can also follow Amancay's blog on the Huffington Post here: 
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/amancay-tapia/


UPDATE (16/12/2014)

 The film can now be watched here, on the website of El País, Spain's highest circulating newspaper. I also get mentioned in the credits! 

Comments

  1. Unknown16 February 2014 at 23:43

    Lovely post, well written and informative. Please keep writing more Liza!

    ReplyDelete

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