Feature Narrative
TOTAL BUDGET
US $4,211,461
CONTACT
tamer.ezzat2005@gmail.com
With ISIS on their tail, Khalil and Jake must round up the children and find a way across the border to freedom and what may be their last chance at personal redemption.
KHALIL RASHEED is a seasoned Lebanese-American freelance journalist working both sides of the Lebanese-Syrian border. Appalled by the atrocities he sees, Khalil hatches a plot to rescue the innocent children of the besieged village of AL Waer. It’s not all altruistic – Khalil’s conscience is burdened by the memory of a drunk driving accident in his son was killed.
Before returning to Syria, Khalil gets a call from JAKE WESTIN, a swaggering but fading Hollywood action star desperate to save his failing career. Westin offers Khalil 100,000$ to shadow him as research for his next movie role. Jake will be a hindrance, but Khalil agrees because the money may help.
In Syria, Jake comprehends for the first time the devastation of the war, even while developing a friendship with the beautiful Dr. RAJA, a Syrian-American doctor who bravely returned to her parent’s home village to treat the wounded. With ISIS on their tail, Khalil and Jake must round up the children and find a way across the border to freedom and what may be their last chance at personal redemption.
This film is dedicated to the people of Syria who fell victim to a political conflict that they don›t have a hand in due to global politics in today›s world. As a result, the approach to making this film will concentrate on showing the human stories and the chaos that reaps innocent lives randomly. The protagonist here is an Arab who is not the stereotypical portrayal of the Middle Eastern cliche in western movies. He is not a terrorist or a rich Shiekh but rather a character made of flesh and blood; a proactive character driven by inner human conflicts. The film will show the brutality of death and will try to find beauty in simple forms of life like a blossoming flower in the middle of the rubble; like the children that Khalil and Jake are trying to rescue. The film is also an entertaining and enlightening journey taken through the story of Jake and Khalil; an odd couple. Jake is a fish out of water and is a source of discomfort to Khalil and a hinderance in his way to achieving his ultimate goal. Eventually Jake and Khalil bond and start seeing eye to eye. This moment is where the whole film is going towards achieving the main dramatic goal; rescuing the children and giving them, and the audience, some hope.
A producer, screenwriter, journalist and author. He wrote the script and produced (consulting) the feature film “Supremacy” (2015), starring Danny Glover and Joe Anderson, and he cowrote and produced “Archie’s Final Project” (aka My Suicide) (2011). Archie’s Final Project won 21 major international film festival awards, including the Crystal Bear in Berlin.
Eric is also the author of six books, including the suspense/thrillers Birdland (Hodder & Stoughton) and Plot Twist (St. Martin’s Press). He wrote and directed “To Save A Child,” an award-winning documentary on suicide, as well as a number of other documentary and short films. As a journalist, Eric has written for dozens of national and regional periodicals, including The New York Times, The Los Angeles Times, Wired, and Salon.
Eric relies on his journalism background to develop film projects that explore contemporary social issues while remaining commercially viable. In recognition of his efforts, Eric was recently named a Djerassi Screenwriting Fellowship finalist by the San Francisco Film Society.
Dedicated to producing searing thrillers and thought-provoking dramas, Sleeperwave Films has gained a reputation as a developer of high-quality, audience-driven feature films. Past films include “Archie’s Final Project” (2009 Berlin Crystal Bear winner) and “Supremacy,” (2015 African Academy Award winner). Current projects include the romantic escape thriller “Vanished,” US/Bangladeshi co-pro «Rickshaw Girl,» and the Syrian refugee action/drama «The Last Rescue».