RAFA - Senior Thesis Film

Hi, thanks for coming! I'm Ricarda Warner, a senior at Purchase College. I went to high school at Buffalo Academy for Visual and Performing Arts where I took up communications film as my major in high school. This sparked my own personal interest in the creation of film, focusing on black american cinema. I went on to join Purchase College in their Film Bachelor in Fine Arts program and minoring in Arts Management. A lot of the work I’ve completed has been documentary story-based and experimental narrative storytelling.

My senior thesis is an experimental narrative piece about a young black non-conforming artist named Rafa. Rafa is free-spirited but still has a lot of baggage. Sometimes a little off the rails, she is very guided in what she wants to do. Rafa is going through a big change, trying out a new meditative therapy in this dystopian world. She goes back into her darker memories connected to her adoptive white mother to understand who she is now.

Rafa has a wonderful supportive partner but they have their issues that need some healing.

The vision that I have for this film is big but manageable. I'm looking to do certain moments of this film in still film photography, that's where the most expenses come in. The funds used for this film will go towards the 35mm film, props, locations, set designing, catering, equipment, and making sure that I have all of the resources for my cast and crew to have the best on-set experience possible.

As an artist, my main goal is a creative art that evokes hope while addressing issues. A lot of what is in media catered towards black Americans can be gruesome and full of trauma. I genuinely feel like there's another approach to film, connecting meaningful themes along with real-life situations. As a storyteller and a project pusher, I have goals of representation and giving people their flowers. The art that I create gives space for perceptions to change and evolve. Art can be overwhelming, the pieces that I make allow the audience to settle and experience. I care for my audience and will not waste their time.

Please take a look at my other projects to get a feel of what I do!

DANCING WHILE BLACK (Documentary) - https://youtu.be/oIpwPB1pcfs

2008 (Experimental) - https://youtu.be/4xxtm0dXkuY

NATURE VS NURTURE (Rough Cut, Narrative/Experimental/Doc) - https://youtu.be/9QjgEECeEMg

(the mood board put together as the picture is the vibe of the film. that beautiful picture in the middle was not taken by me!)