The Story:
Forty-year-old Calliope Miller appears to have everything she’s ever wanted. She has just landed her dream job at an upscale New York interior design firm. She lives on a quiet tree lined block in Brooklyn with her husband Bob, a good-looking and hard-working insurance sales exec, and she competes on a masters swim team at a local pool to stay in shape.
Calliope’s world is upended when her first mammogram screening results in a breast cancer diagnosis. At night, she is haunted by a recurring nightmare of drowning in open water when her swimming skills fail her. As she faces difficult health decisions, Bob retreats to heavy drinking and ultimately walks out on her. Calliope’s mother, Diane, questions her decisions and places blame instead of offering words of comfort.
Then, a rivalrous co-worker appears to take advantage of her medical absences when Calliope is reluctant to explain them. These brutal behaviors threaten a once perfectly built house of cards that she never understood to be so fragile. At risk of drowning, how can Calliope fight for her life and find the strength she never knew she had?
Director’s Statement:
This is an adapted of a true story that I have come to understand intimately. While this narrative film draws on one young woman’s journey with breast cancer, it is meant to serve as a conglomerate of millions of brave women’s experiences.
The film is told through the eyes of Calliope, and what we see is unapologetically authentic, emotionally raw and fiercely introspective. My intention is to open up a possibility that we may see pieces of ourselves within her.
We explore themes of fear, abandonment, strength and forgiveness in both Calliope’s relationships with others, as well as the relationship she has with herself.
Calliope swims for miles and miles at the local pool, trying to silence the voices in her head telling her she is not enough. Ultimately, breast cancer becomes the wake-up call for Calliope to face her fears, advocate for herself and find her most “beautiful” voice.
Through Calliope, I hope to inspire women to take a proactive approach to their overall well-being: to make physical health a priority and to get that first mammogram early on. Equally, to provide women with the voice of hope: to know they are enough and to know they too can find the inner strength to fight fear and self-doubt.
Bios:
Director/Producer: Marisa Camplin
A visual storyteller at heart, Marisa loves to share stories that challenge us to the core, delight every bone in our body and help define who we are today. This work humbles and inspires her every day. Marisa received a Masters degree in Writing and Directing for Film from Academy of Art University (AAU). At AAU, she directed a 30-minute thesis film called KNOCK OUT, and a narrative short, called OFF TO CARE, that each achieved two film festival wins and several nominations.
Currently, Marisa produces and directs mini-documentaries for the Women in Data Science Initiative at Stanford University, featuring stories of women around the globe and their contributions to the field of data science – one that is highly underrepresented by women. She was assistant to film director / actor Fiona Robert on her feature A VIEW OF THE WORLD FROM FIFTH AVENUE and assistant to film director Annette Haywood-Carter on a feature DAUGHTER OF THE BRIDE.
Writer: Alicia Slimmer/strong>
Alicia (Lee) Slimmer is an award-winning filmmaker. Her debut feature film, CREEDMORIA, screened at 12 festivals and won 12 awards, including the Jury Prize for Best Feature Comedy at Cinequest, Audience Favorite at the Brooklyn Film Festival, and the Industry Choice Award at Los Angeles’ Dances With Films Festival. The Hollywood Reporter said Creedmoria “boasts an exuberant comic vitality that keeps the viewer engaged” and The Village Voice called it “a timeless lark: a rollicking, touching family yarn.” Lee is currently in development for her next feature, IT’S ALL RELATIVE, starring Karen Allen. Her indie approach has been highlighted in multiple publications, including The Wall Street Journal and The Hollywood Reporter. She was a featured panelist at Cucalorus for “Ceiling Busters: Women in Film” and has led workshops at Montclair State University and the School of Creative and Performing Arts in Brooklyn. Lee is a contributing writer to Thrive Global, a member of NYWIFT, WIFVNE, and Film Fatales, where she also runs a monthly writing group.
