Writer/director/producer David Over describes his short film, “In the Beginning,” as a “dark, modern-day, Adam and Eve, love-story, thriller.” It’s a mouthful, but it’s also an accurate depiction of the film. On October 10, Bellevue College supported a free premiere screening of the short in the Carlson Theatre. The turnout was quite impressive; Over’s family, members of his church, friends from work and school all attended the event, eager to view the project that had been in the works for roughly 11 months.
The Internet Movie Database’s (IMDb) plot synopsis for “In the Beginning” is as follows: “By supernatural means mankind’s ability to reproduce is revoked. Two teenagers are chosen to repopulate the earth, but first they must get to each other.” For a minimally budgeted short film, the technical proficiency was surprising, complete with crane and dolly shots, clear, crisp imagery, an original score and consistent sound mixing. The plot is somewhat reminiscent of an M. Night Shyamalan film, in the sense that it’s a global supernatural thriller containing religious themes, ala “The Happening” and “Signs,” respectively. And while this film presents a worldwide epidemic of sorts, it’s a very personal story.
What inspired Over?
“A breakup,” said Over. “This guy [C.J. Bishop] had gone through a breakup; my other best friend had gone through a breakup; all my friends from work got dumped by their girlfriends and one of my friend’s dads had just gotten divorced by his wife. It was like the stars were aligning and all the women were leaving the men. So, out of something sour came something sweet.”
The film poses a number of questions about faith, love and how society would function in a world where reproduction is seemingly impossible.
“It’s hard to have a faith and then to want to go and make films and then to apply your rules to that process. I’m not a fan of ‘preaching’ movies and I don’t want to make movies that people feel like they’re a chore to sit through. The media’s a very strong tool and I don’t want to brainwash anybody. I want to be able to tell really good stories that have to do with my faith and I want to infuse my faith in whatever stories that I can,” said Over, addressing his approach to incorporating religious themes and messages into film.
Close friends David Over and C.J. Bishop, the film’s director of photography, producer, editor and sound mixer, have been creating films together since they met in ninth grade and, based on the enthusiasm they displayed Saturday night, they’ll be collaborating for quite some time.
Their next project, another short film titled “The Boy Who Heard Whispers,” is slated to be finished around February or March of next year. “It’s about a little boy who’s raised by his mother and it’s about those whispers we hear on the outside and deciphering which ones we’re supposed to listen to and how we’re supposed to respond to them,” said Over.
The filmmakers already have further plans for the future.
“We will be shooting a feature,” said Over. “This is the goal that I’ve set for our production team, to shoot a feature film by, not this summer, but the following summer. So, summer of 2011 we’ll begin production for sure. We eventually want to move into the feature film so you guys can come here and sit for a couple hours instead of 16 to 20 minutes.”
“In the Beginning” has been submitted to five film festivals – the Seattle International Film Festival, Redemptive Film Festival, Gig Harbor Film Festival, Sundance and Slamdance. It’s also likely that the Blue November Film Festival will be screening the short film.
Further information on the film can be found at: http://www.facebook.com/pages/In-The-Beginning/106248627002?v=wall, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1492904/, and http://www.inthebeginningfilm.webs.com/.
Keep an eye on their short film, see it at a festival or get your hands on a DVD. Independent film is one of the most vital and necessary aspects of the film world, often showcasing genuine passion and creativity within the medium unlike the majority of mainstream cinema. This is why it is also vital and necessary to support filmmakers like David Over and C.J. Bishop, who have fervor for film untainted by those who view movies as merely a means to make money.