K-OOOSHE GAY:

“K-oooshe Gay” is a short film that addresses homophobia and the mental and physical violence towards those part of the LGBTQ+ community in many Caribbean islands. It is a message to all those part of the community that they are not alone.

THE PLOT:

K-ooosha and Arinna, lovers and best friends, find freedom and peace in each others company. A man barges into K-ooosha’s space to deliver news that she has been accused of murdering Arinna.
She confuses reality, memories and dreams, and spends her time weaving in and out of memories with Arinna to deal with her present which is without her.

In order to keep the suspense, we cannot release more information about the story.

Arinna and K-ooosha

THE STORY OF HOW IT CAME ABOUT:

Camille comes from Antigua; a beautiful island in the Caribbean, known for its crystal clear water and white sand beaches, for its colourful carnival and friendly people. Unfortunately, people part of the LGBTQ+ community in Antigua face legal challenges as the Penal Code makes same-sex acts against the law. Although the law is not enforced, the punishment of same sex acts is up to 15 years in prison. She wrote this project because she finds it hard to accept that on this wonderful island, as well as many other islands in the Caribbean, people part of this community are ostracised and treated like outsiders for their sexual orientation. She decided to bring together a crew of people who are passionate about the topic of the project.

These negative feelings towards homosexuality and the settled perspective that heterosexuality is the superior sexual orientation can be partially traced back to the British rule over the island. Christianity was forced upon the slaves during the British colonial rule and plantation owners were obligated by the Consolidated Slave Act to introduce their slaves to practice Christianity. England’s 1553 anti buggery laws were also imposed on the British colonies during the nineteenth century.

THE TEAM:

With a approximate duration of 25 minutes, this film could not see the light of day without the wonderful team:

- Emanuela Venuti- Director

Emanuela Venuti, the director of K-oooshe Gay, is a freelance photographer and director of photography. She was born in Gallipoli and currently lives in Collepasso. She approached photography at the age of fifteen, fascinated by the different ways in which light affects bodies and objects. She was driven by the desire to create worlds, visions and dreams through images that originate from the human soul. Emanuela describes her photographs as her own psychological investigation. An investigation into the being: the most intimate and profound part of each of us.

Dreams, freedom, rebirth, fragility, love, death, memory and impermanence are the most recurring themes in her images.

She has participated in several group and personal exhibitions for the past five years in Salento. Some of her work has been showcased in international fashion editorials, including:

2017 - VOGUE Italia

- WORBZ

2018 - BOGAMIA ART & PHOTOGRAPHY MAGAZINE

- VIRTUOGENIX FW 18/19

Today she is studying scenography at the Academy of Fine Arts in Lecce.

- Camille Genhart- Writer and Actress

Camille Genhart, the writer of K-oooshe Gay and the actress playing one of the parts, is from an island in the Caribbean called Antigua. She moved from Antigua to London in 2015 because of her dream of becoming an artist. She studied musical theater at a drama school in London from 2015-2016. In 2016, Camille moved to Paris where she studied acting at Cours Florent and attended many Jack Waltzer workshops. She obtained a certificate with honors from the Acting in English three- year program at Cours Florent in 2019, and has recently graduated from the MA Acting course at Mountview in London with a distinction. She also has a level 4 diploma in performing from Trinity College London.

- Federica Ruggieri- Actress

Federica Ruggieri is an Italian actress and model. She obtained a diploma in Fine Arts from Beaux Arts de Nantes (in the performance and video art department). She then simultaneously attended Cours Florent's Acting in English and Cours Florent's Acting in French program, and graduated in 2019. She has also attended training for professional dancers at the Ménagerie de Verre for five years. She has played in several pieces, notably for the festival "We do not stop the theater": "Puzzle" and "Nosferatu" and "Psycats" at La Boussole theatre in Paris. She worked with the Nordland company for two years, playing the role of Lady Anne. She has appeared in several music videos, short films, series and advertisements in France and South Korea. In 2019 she founded the "Brave Monkey" Theater Company in Paris.

Federica's Showreel- https://vimeo.com/316409107

- Alberto Gasperini- Musical Composer

Alberto Gasperini, the music creator in K-oooshe gay, was born in Milan, Italy in 1991, where he started playing the piano when he was only 8 years old. After having played in different bands as a keyboardist and a guitarist, he learned music production and created different electronic music projects (“MFFV”, “Loomatica”). He rejects any classification of his professional persona, but his artistry vibrates with the mantra “make it groovy”. He currently lives in Berlin, where he works both as a graphic designer and a music producer.

Lise Chancel- Animator

Lise Chancel, the animator of K-oooshe gay, is currently studying animation techniques at Atelier de Sèvres in Paris. She attended the Estienne School in Paris to learn 3D animation before her current studies. She enjoys making up stories in order to bring them to life by creating little cartoons.

Allocation of Funds:

We estimate that we will need 5,000 euros to take the film to the highest level that we can.

Below is a description of our financial goals split into tiers, as well as what we are able to do with each sum of money:

3,000 euros-

This is the minimum the film needs to afford:

- Set design

- Makeup

- Props and costume

- Renting the filming equipment

- Renting filming locations

- Transportation to the different filming locations

- Providing a meal for the collaborating crew

- Recording the music at a professional recording studio

- Mixing the music

- Animation drawings

5,000 euros

If we manage to reach this amount of money we can also:

- Provide a small payment for the technical crew

- Provide a small payment for editing

Thank you for your time!

K-oooshe Gay

The publications