Welcome —
The Premise —
Feature | modern-Musical & Issue-drama | Development phase.
A rising musician battles the demons of anxiety and depression at the end of her tour. She discovers a soulful connection with a street musician in Lisbon, leading to a profound exploration of healing, love and the pursuit of happiness.
The Prelude —
a prelude to our film
An invitation.
Katherine Heeling —
The Birth of a character
A small, resilient and sometimes stubborn girl! Owner of an enormous talent that makes her size grow tenfold when she sings and plays. Her talent is only matched by the need to express herself.
Let me tell you how she came to life!
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The answer to the question “who is Katherine Heeling?” is within the inspirations that lead to her “birth”. She is an autobiographical character - a reflection on how I faced my anxiety during my 20’s, something that so many people can relate to.
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There I was, in Brighton, trying a little bit of everything and truly in love with the city, its people, and the creative energy around me.
Anxiety has a gift accompanying the curse: hyper-vigilance. By focusing on the positive side of my condition, I made a deeper connection to the people around me, their different ways of living and the artistic and semiotic richness that I love so much! Eventually, this led me to cross paths with Brighton’s busking culture.
“Never in my life have I ever been able to play a musical instrument” is something I have been forced to admit many times. Hence my admiration for musicians. Buskers seemed to epitomise everything great in playing music – proximity to the artist so often missing in large-scale concerts.
My new creative journey had begun, stimulated by the places I walked through and surrounded by a strong artistic community.
It’s all about absorbing our surroundings - no modern place is stripped of its iconic artistic community as much as, unfortunately, not affected by mental health challenges.
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My personal history, of course, wasn’t my only source of inspiration. One day, Youtube brought a musician to my attention: voice and guitar, like a busker. She is Laura Marling and her lyrics took me over.
A few weeks later, seated on Western Road - Brighton’s main avenue – I was observing people going about their business and, on a pile of scribbles, I drew a rough sketch of a girl coming towards me from afar, with a fabric-wrapped guitar carried on her back.
This was an inspiration; this was the Katherine who was going to be central to the film that, even then, was beginning to take shape.
I had to act! I bought a new notebook, and in one of the cafés around Western Road, I started writing this female version of my own ‘anxious being’. A creature with a hunger for recognition, such as I had, with a story to tell and a need to be heard as she plays and sings in Marling-esque tones.
The Road ahead —
A GOOD RELATABLE QUOTE IS ALWAYS WORTH SHARING:
“It must be real and true to life. I believe in realism absolutely. Real things appeal to the people far quicker than the grotesque. My comedy is actual life, with the slightest twist or exaggeration, you might say, to bring out what it might be under certain circumstances.”
– Charles Chaplin
João David Nogueira
Writer & Director
Behind the scenes
The Concept teaser
Being a project under development, what’s this website for?
This website is about the upcoming film "A Song of the Anxious", and it will follow its development.
Your support is vital so please, follow us on our social media platforms and this website! Like and share so that together we can all bring this project to life!
Producer´s corner —
WHY IS THE PRODUCER’S CORNER A RESERVED AREA?
Well, one word: Spoilers; no one wants those, do they? The complete information about the story, characters, begging, middle and ending, it’s all there! Believe me when I say it: it’s reserved so we can put out there the best film for you.
FOR YOU, DEAR PRODUCER, INVESTOR AND FUTURE COLLEAGUE:
If you are curious about how to be part of this project, visit our producer’s corner, where special access will be granted to you so you can know all the pre-production details and where you can be part of this ride.
THE EXTENDED SYNOPSIS; STORY/CHARACTERS’ ARCS; REQUEST FORM FOR SCRIPT DELIVERY; LOCATIONS & POSSIBLE CHANGES; UNDERGOING TASKS; PRODUCTION BREAKDOWN.
Contacts —
