SYNOPSIS

In a subterranean dystopian community, Aryan-looking children follow strict rules. Indoctrinated to forget their past, they prepare for adoption to new families. Joshua (9) defies norms, befriending newcomer Anna and sparking jealousy in the group. When Joshua declines a chance to be adopted in order not to leave Anna behind, his refusal triggers Phil's rage: the eldest and leader of their group turns everyone against the two. Joshua and Anna must choose between conformity and resistance, shaping their destinies in an oppressive society.

INTENTION

There are so many facets of war that have been under-reported, swept under the carpet and left out of history books, in large part because we find them uncomfortable to talk about. I find this sort of taboo historical knowledge can be a way to identify menacing patterns in society and recognize early on when history might be dangerously close to repeating itself.

Drawing inspiration from World War II’s Lebensborn program, the more recent events with the Ukrainian children kidnapped by the Russian army, and my own upbringing in a socialist country, the story explores the societal structure dictated by a political system that suppresses individual freedoms.

I am interested in exploring the tension between individual versus collective identity in a group of children, between their rational and emotional responses, and morality versus immorality at a young age, as we try to understand what it takes to fight against a system that uses fear and propaganda to change them and their entire set of beliefs.