Short Film

Into the Desert

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Details

Union:

Union or Non union

Area of media:

Short Film

Network:

Paid?:

Yes

Rates:

ACTRA Low Budget Agreement Rates

Deadline:

Feb 1, 2025

Shooting starts:

May 1, 2025

Shooting locations:

Toronto, ON

Cities for response:

Toronto

Storyline

Logline: When their son is diagnosed with a brain tumour, a strained Orthodox Christian couple commit to a radical fast, believing that their actions will sway God to save their child.

Mariam is at odds with her husband, Joe, who does not embrace her religious traditions - such as fasting. He actively pushes against her cultural traditions, even breaking their son's fast by sneaking him a chocolate bar. But when their son is diagnosed with a brain tumour, Joe can't help but feel that it is some sort of divine punishment. As their son's health declines, they take an increasingly radical view towards their faith, believing that their declining mental/physical health will ensure their son's survival.

The short will be shot on 16mm film in 2025. It is supported by Canada Council for the Arts. The short is inspired by the writer/director's Academy Nicholl Fellowship Quarter-Finalist screenplay Coptic. The writer/director's previous film - Thin Walls - is currently distributed by La Distributrice de Films.

Roles

Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Lead	Mariam	Female 35 - 45 Years old
Description MARIAM [35 - 45] [Ethnicity: Middle Eastern, North African] [Must speak Arabic] [Must be okay with intimate scenes and smoking] Mariam maintains a tight bond with her Orthodox Christian faith, maintaining its traditions and practices. She shares a vulnerability and love towards her son Bishoy. Despite being married to Joe, she feels distant towards him, believing that unspoken resentment is building between them. After Bishoy's diagnosis, she initially feels a sense of warmth when Joe embraces her faith. Her love with him initially blossoms as they bond through their diminished meals. However, when Joe soon takes a more radical approach towards fasting, she finds that her religion is being morphed into something unrecognizable. Mariam lives in a working class, rugged apartment complex. She faces economic hardship in her day-to-day life, and it's reflected in her appearance. For the sake of the story, it is essential that the performer has a thin frame - in order to add believability to the central premise. The director is looking for restrained, non-theatrical performances from actors. Based on the actor's ethnicity, the screenplay's Orthodox Christian faith will be amended to suit the performer's nationality.
Role type	Role	Gender & Age range
Lead	Joe	Male 35 - 45 Years old
Description JOE [35-45] [Must be okay with intimate scenes and smoking] Joe holds resentment towards Mariam for implementing religion into their child's life. He doesn't understand his wife's arbitrary, seemingly random traditions like fasting. However, he feels the weight of his disbelieving actions when his son is diagnosed with a brain tumour. He is desperate to repair the damage that he's done - especially in the eyes of God. He commits to a radical fast, morphing the initial intention of the practice into one that more closely reflects disordered eating habits. When his wife shows affection towards his religious embrace, he cannot help but 'double down' on his diminished meals. Soon, he finds himself becoming more militant in belief than his wife. Joe lives in a working class, rugged apartment complex. He faces economic hardship in her day-to-day life, and it's reflected in his appearance. For the sake of the story, it is essential that the performer has a thin frame - in order to add believability to the central premise. The director is looking for restrained, non-theatrical performances from actors.

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