NARRATIVE - Restoration
Narrative Short
Title: Restoration
TRT: 00:35:45
Project Status: In Postproduction
Logline
When a heat-fueled house fire shatters his family two weeks before his Nigerian-American wedding, a son navigates loss and legacy through a hybrid tapestry of fiction, memory, and documentary archive.
Synopsis
The story unfolds in a family home, focusing on a Nigerian-American family grappling with internal conflicts and tragedy. The central conflict arises from ongoing electrical issues in the house, leading Charles, a 70-year-old patriarch, to rely on Leroy, their handyman. Leroy warns that the electrical system needs a costly replacement, which Charles ignores due to financial strain, exacerbated by his estranged wife Gladys's demands regarding the property.
Tensions are heightened within the family, affecting Charles's children: Nola, who plans to move out; Chase, an aspiring comedian facing rejection from Gladys; and Rocky, preparing for his wedding in Los Angeles. The story builds toward a crisis when a fire ignites amid a very hot climate on the hottest day of the summer, mixing with a faulty electrical system, while Gladys is washing her hair, trapping Charles and Nola upstairs as smoke engulfs the house.
Firefighters rescue the family, but Charles tragically dies from smoke inhalation. Rocky rushes from LA, while Nola, hospitalized with severe smoke inhalation, remains unaware of her father's death initially. In the aftermath, the family navigates grief and practical matters, including Charles's will, which complicates relationships with Gladys.
Emotional tension culminates when Nola learns of her father’s death. She resolves that Rocky's wedding should proceed as planned in his honor, showcasing her strength and the family's resilience amidst loss.
Additional Project Info
I created Restoration because I needed to process grief and confront the fragility of home. Inspired by real loss, the film follows a household as it unravels after a house fire on the hottest day of the summer. This film is deeply personal to my family and me. Telling this story in this way is one of the greatest gifts of filmmaking. It allows me to honor my father and my family, and to transform tragedy into something meaningful, into advocacy.
No one asked for it, I financed it myself, and scored grants from the NAACP and NRDC climate. pushed through delays and fought to finish it. It showcases my strength in directing grounded performances, building emotional tension through silence, and blending personal narrative with broader themes such as climate and legacy. It’s not just a film, it’s a reckoning, and proof I can turn pain into something communal and lasting.
Team
Written & Directed By Alexander Etseyatse
Producers
Alexander Etseyatse
Cindy Etseyatse
Lekethia Dalcoe-Etseyatse
Executive Producers
NAACP
NRDC Climate Change
Alexander Etseyatse
Cindy Etseyatse
Lekethia Dalcoe-Etseyatse
MAIN-CAST
Nola Lauren Banks
Chase Bambadjan Bamba
Charles Dominic Marcus
Rocky Dayo Olatokun
Gladys Rita Edward Malik Rahmell Peebles
Leroy James Roach Mary Roetta-Lee Smith
Doctor Jay Hannah Zoe Fernando
Barbara Nedge Victome
Dan Calvin Winbush
UPM / Co- Producer Portia Lundie
1st AD Ardavan Sepehr
2nd AD Dexter Wiseman
Associate Producer Victor Ekoko
DRIVER / BTS SHOOTER Mark Nunez
Production Supervisor Lekethia Dalcoe
Office Coordinator Anton Vicente Kliot
Production Secretary Jess Li
DRIVER Horace Matherson
Office Secretary Caitlyn Johnson
PA Mark Strage
CAMERA-DEPT
DP Daniel Patterson
1ST AC Zakiya Lucas-Murray (pronounced Zah-kee-yah)
2ND AC Vonn Patterson
CAMERA PA Kahdeem Jefferson
STEADICAM Megan Masur
G-E-DEPT
GAFFER Nathaniel Warren
KEY GRIP Drew Reuschlein
BBE Alijah Hitt
Additional Swing Quincy Baker
BBG Devin Powell
SWING Alphonso Colicchio
ART-DEPT
PRODUCTION DESIGNER Brian Tubbs
ART PA Leslie Ye
CAMERA PA Timothy Hollis
SOUND
SOUND MIXER Yi Yang
SOUND MIXER Raja Khuri
HMU
HMU STYLIST Etsy Roe
PYROTECHNIC
PYROTECHNIC Jeff Moratti
WARDROBE
COSTUME DESIGNER Delon Charlton
ASSISTANT Costume Designer kAMILAH WHITE
CASTING DIRECTOR - NEW YORK Chastity Thomas
CASTING DIRECTOR - LONDON Lala Akindoju
2nd-Unit
2nd Unit CAM - Los Angeles Blake Mitchell
2nd Unit CAM - New York Justin Dorazio
2nd Unit Sound Mixer Sophia Wilson
POST-PRODUCTION
Editor Alexander Etseyatse
Editor Jeff Pinilla
Assistant Editor Savraj Banga
VFX Artist Nicholas Jarvis
Financials
I have received an NAACP Climate Change Grant.
Seeking
$10k in finishing Post-Production funds, Programmers, Development Funds, Production Company, Investors, Producing Partners, and Distribution.
Contact
Alexander Etseyatse
alexander.etseyatse@gmail.com