LOGLINE

In the world without mental disorders, a depressed mother navigates her life in an asylum, forming an alliance with women like herself, hidden from society.

SYNOPSIS

In the near future, where mental disorders have been eradicated through genetic engineering, a depressed single mother Alaska gets institutionalized after becoming obsessed with extreme orgasm induced by near-death experiences. Given the ultimatum - gene correction or indefinite incarceration, she has to choose between spiritual and physical freedom, motherhood and womanhood.

ARTISTIC STATEMENT

This is not a “crazy woman narrative” It is a well-known fact that medicine and psychiatry have been used against women and the development of their societal status throughout history. Many women have been misdiagnosed and institutionalized. Psychiatric maltreatment was imposed on them, to restrict, control and annihilate women’s independence, sexuality and spiritual freedom. You might think it was a long time ago, when women didn’t have their rights. Now it is different. But is it, really? Has the knowledge about women’s mental health and gynecology been prevalent enough? Are they taken seriously? Do WE take it seriously? As a woman who has suffered from depression and anxiety, I know that there’s so much stigma and misconception around mental illness that it took a lot of time and reconciliation for me to recognize and accept what I was going through. I felt so alone. But now I know. I’m not. This is a story about women, who fight for what they believe in and desire. They get marginalized and silenced for the benefit of the majority. But they strive to pursue their own ways of reclaiming their autonomy. Their voice. Through this film, I aim to portray women with mental illness with understanding and compassion. It is imagined through the lens of mistreated women in history, focusing on guilt and pain that they have been afflicted with, in terms of mental health, motherhood and sexuality. Living in the current world, the word “dystopian” no longer means something fictional, but a reality where women’s bodily integrity is in sheer danger. This film stands as my advocacy for mental health and women’s rights.

KEY CREW

Miteki Takeyama - Writer/Director/Producer

Miteki Takeyama is a Japanese writer/director/production designer based in New York. She was born and raised in Tokyo, where she earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in English at Sophia University. Currently in the fourth year of the Film MFA program at Stony Brook University majoring in Directing, she wrote, directed and produced 3 short films and worked on more than 15 film projects as production designer. She shares her unique vision and insight into storytelling as a teacher in the undergraduate Film program at Stony Brook University and worked for Killer Films as a development Intern.

Sheng-Ting Shen - Producer

Sheng-Ting, a producer and filmmaker from Taiwan now based in New York City, has a diverse background in independent and commercial production. Her directorial short films, including "Bad News" (2020) and "The Coolest Club" (2022), have earned acclaim at over 30 international film festivals. Alongside her independent work, Sheng-Ting has collaborated with clients such as NBA, China Central Television (CCTV), Tencent, New York Fashion Week and more, solidifying her as a versatile producer. Industry recognition includes winning the TAICCAx MPA pitch competition and representing Taiwan at the American Film Market Pitch Conference. She has participated in esteemed project markets and labs such as the Hong Kong International Film Festival HAF in-development projects, the Reclaim the Frame Filmonomics International Film Lab, and the Bucheon International Fantastic Film Festival—Fantastic Film School. Currently serving as a senior video producer at tech beauty company IL MAKIAGE, Sheng-Ting remains dedicated to her passion for independent filmmaking. Projects like "Miss Mermaid," a family drama in post-production, and "The First Kiss of the Night," a trans-punk musical film in production, showcase her ongoing commitment to diverse storytelling.