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Logline

In 1952, a prominent Soviet scientist was arrested and pressured to sign a confession to save his family. Later, the Soviet regime executed him for telling the truth by openly criticizing the director of the science academy who adamantly promoted pseudo-science.

Synopsis

ACT I
The story begins in 2020, California. Elena, a world-renowned agronomist and geneticist, speaks at the awards ceremony. She introduces her father’s deeds in the Soviet Union from her childhood memories – the beginning of her quest for scientific truth.

ACT II
1952, Moscow. Elena celebrates her seven-year-old birthday, but her father doesn’t come home. The secret police arrest him for openly criticizing the director of the science academy. He refuses to sign the confession until the secret police threaten his family. He sacrifices himself to save his family, yet inspiring Elena’s relentless pursuit of scientific truth.

ACT III
Back to 2020, California. Seventy-five-year-old Elena receives the National Science Medal, the nation’s highest honor. In the end, the goodness of humanity perseveres. Her students are all around the world. In her scientific research and her pursuit of truth, she reunites with her father as if they were never apart.

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Meet the Filmmakers

W. Y. Geng – Writer/Director/Producer

W. Y. Geng was born in Beijing, China. She graduated with an MFA in Film & TV Production at University of Southern California, where she was the recipient of the prestigious Irvin Kershner Fund for Documentary Filmmaking, Alfred P. Sloan Production Award and Writing Award.

Rebecca Chu – Producer

Rebecca Chu is a writer and filmmaker from Irvine, California. Rebecca’s immigrant father instilled in her a love of American cinema, bringing her on movie dates to the neighborhood theater. There, she was exposed to rich stories through moving images that her still-developing psyche could not fully comprehend, yet the emotional responses elicited were tangibly unforgettable.

Rebecca initially built her career in finance and commercial strategy at Fortune 100 companies such as Apple and Disney. Upon becoming a mother, Rebecca turned her focus toward building a more equitable world for the next generation. She engineered a career transition into creative producing, launching independent film company SHADOWLIGHT MEDIA VENTURES, through which she develops and produces original content that aims to elevate diverse, underrepresented voices.

Rebecca’s short film Rojak garnered accolades at the Singapore Bicentennial Heritage showcase, including nods for Best Film and Best Direction. In addition, her original screenplay Wonton Paradise was selected by industry professionals to be filmed at the Universal Studios backlot in Hollywood.

Rebecca is a globe-trotter with artistic interests that span international sensibilities. She holds an MFA from the Peter Stark Producing Program at USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she was the winner of the 2022 Robert S. Ferguson Marketing Award for best feature film marketing plan. In addition, she holds an MBA from Stanford’s Graduate School of Business.

Emil Chang – Cinematographer

www.emilschang.com

Eleanora Figueroa Steiner – Art Director

Eleanora Figueroa Steiner is a Peruvian-Australian production designer currently based in Los Angeles. She is a graduate of the University of Melbourne with a Bachelor of Arts double major in the History and Philosophy of Science, and English Theatre Studies. She is the second recipient of the Screen Australia-Onbass Fellowship, a full tuition scholarship to study a Masters of Fine Arts in Production Design at the American Film Institute Conservatory in 2021.

Her highest achievement so far has been as production designer of All These Creatures, winner of the short film Palme d’Or at the 71st Festival de Cannes 2018. Screening at over 190 film festivals to date, including the Toronto International Film Festival, Raindance, Hong Kong and Busan the film has won over 60 awards, notably; ‘Best Short Film’ at the 8th Australian Academy (AACTA) Awards, 66th Sydney Film Festival and 16th Tirana International Film Festival; a ‘Firebird Award for Best International Short Film’ at the 43rd Hong Kong International Film Festival, and ‘Best Australian Short Film’ at the 57th Melbourne International Film Festival.

Anya Khusnatdinova – Editor

Anya Khusnatdinova is a Russian-born film editor currently based in Las Vegas. She started her journey at VGIK, in Moscow, where she learned Soviet montage techniques.

She is a graduate of Emerson College in Boston with a B.A. in Visual and Media Arts. In 2020 she completed MFA in Editing at AFI Conservatory. She has a background in both digital and manual film processing and editing.

In Las Vegas Anya edits for different live shows and artists.

Ryan Vaughan – Sound Supervisor
Ryan Vaughan is passionate about three things: sound, The Beatles, and David Fincher movies.

Originally from Williamsburg, Virginia, he began writing and recording original music in a makeshift studio he built in his room. It was during those late hours recording that he fell in love with creating his own sounds.

Ryan earned his MFA from USC’s School of Cinematic Arts, where he was the first student to mix multiple projects in Dolby Atmos and 7.1 Surround Sound. His Dolby Atmos work spans multiple genres, from action-comedy to musicals to period drama films. Ryan has edited and mixed projects that have premiered at the Tribeca, Austin, and Cannes film festivals. Additionally, he currently works as a sound editor at Transported Audio where his work can be heard on Amazon, Hulu, HGTV and Netflix. He also teaches sound at USC School of Cinematic Arts.

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.