NARRATIVE - Miss Lonelyheart's Memory Light
Narrative Feature
Title: Miss Lonelyheart's Memory Light
Page Count: 86 pages
Project Status: In Preproduction
Logline
An eight-year-old girl and an eighty-year-old woman meet and discover that they have two problems in common -- urinary incontinence and a need to let go of the past.
Synopsis
Eight-year-old Grace, nicknamed "Kid," sometimes pees in her pants when she gets really stressed out -- teachers and classmates steer well-clear of her! She doesn’t know it, but she has PTSD. Her only friends are her beloved Tamagotchi pets. Longing for genuine connection, she runs away from her fancy foster home in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains in search of her deadbeat dad, Johnny, in Denver. She briefly finds him, only to be met with his inability to care for her.
In a deli, Kid watches as, Nonie Corazón, an eighty-year-old woman, steals food from a salad bar. Kid tags along as Nonie walks to her dilapidated apartment building which houses an ensemble of colorful residents. Kid talks Nonie into letting her stay the night. A natural caretaker, she cleans Nonie's apartment, bringing a sense of life back into Nonie's isolated existence.
Nonie's life is a testament to unfulfilled dreams, as she clings to memories through a magical gizmo that she calls her “memory light.” Intrigued, Kid convinces Nonie to let her use the machine. The light, however, presents memories that are "not always as they seem,” adding a layer of complexity as Kid confronts a traumatic memory.
As Kid’s story weaves through the lives of Nonie and the building’s oddball residents, everyone gets pulled into her search for belonging. Through these intertwined stories, the narrative explores the complexities of human relationships, the danger of distorted memories, and the safe-haven one can find in chosen families.
Additional Project Information
Artist’s Statement
When I wrote the first draft of this script, I didn't know that I had PTSD. I was diagnosed later. This story captures a struggle I have had with memories most of my life. My father left for the Vietnam War when I was a toddler and returned in shambles. Looking back, it’s clear he had undiagnosed PTSD, too. After the war, my parents became classic 70's drinkers. The running joke was that Dad would come home, get drunk, and play Amazing Grace on the electric organ in the living room. That meant he was going to pass out soon. But there were nights when he would become explosively violent. One night, he came close to killing my mother. I called the police, but they wouldn’t come. My sister and I escaped through windows and hid until it was safe. They finally got a divorce, THANK GOD, but our mother never fully recovered.
As my father's mental health improved, I couldn't reconcile my childhood memories with the present day. I was pissed off, and rightfully so, that what I witnessed caused so many hardships in my adult relationships. I've had years of therapy and have gained some clarity. One of the most important things a therapist said to me was, "What you believe isn't necessarily true." She helped me rewrite my own narrative. A truthful one. My father and I have since become friends, but we will never be that close. And that's okay.
How do you talk about trauma without talking about trauma? It's a real drag to live with PTSD, and I despise cloying platitudes and over-used trigger warnings. I don’t want this film to have any of that saccharine-sweet After School Special vibe. I rarely disclose this part of my history to anyone, so sharing this here is scary. But maybe someone out there will find comfort in this fairy tale.
Team
Writer/Director: Flo Young, most team members will be students from the University of Colorado Denver
Financials
Applying for academic grants, as well
Seeking
Development Funds, Investors, Producing Partners, Production Company, Distribution, Online Distribution
Rights Available
All rights available
Contact
Flo Young
misslonelyheartmemorylight@gmail.com