Pizza Pala - Student short film in New York City

Pizza Pala is a short film that will be shot in New York City in March 2023 by 19 french exchange students.

Pizza Pala will be directed by Anaïs Ladjimi. The genre is a drama about a young adult with autism, Mark - he tries to make the most of his life but he goes through difficult paths to reach happiness.

Synopsis:

A coming-of-age young adult with autism struggled all his life to communicate with others. He can only feel and express himself through music. He conceives a jazz band playing the same tune in his head to keep his focus. He's the only one who can hear them. It helps him get through the tough and grieving moments of his life. He's been bullied his whole life and now it hasn't changed that much.

He works at a pizza place with a miserable payroll and is shown no respect by his boss and his colleagues. His day-to-day life is not that much easier. People in the streets treat him like an alien as someone that doesn't belong with "normal" people. He feels misunderstood and alone until he meets someone. Leea, a young adult, she moved into the same building. She's from Finland. She is in a way also an outsider, a foreigner in this city. They have a lot in common. Mark falls in love with her at first sight. She doesn't quite speak and understand English yet. Which is convenient for Mark who has speaking issues. Instead, they reinvent their way to discuss and communicate with each other. He feels more comfortable and confident which leads him to big decisions in his life. But rather soon she becomes also an insider and abandons Mark.

Meaning of a contribution:

5$ is a cup of coffee that will energize a crew member.

10$ is a meal for one crew member.

60$ is a full tank of gas for the truck that will allow bringing the tools on set (camera and its equipment, lights, props and costumes, and sound equipment).

300$ is one authorization to allow us to shoot for the week in a public location.