Support Mar Kourouma's Thesis Film

Please join us in bringing our surreal psychological horror film to life!

My name is Mar Kourouma and as a part of my capstone project at UCLA’s School of Film and Television, my team and I are creating a deeply personal and visual journey that explores memory, identity, and the haunting truths of aging. Set within the eerie rooms of a once familiar family home, our story follows a young boy revisiting memories through a distorted lens. At its core, This House Creaks aims to capture the personal and abstract experience of aging: going from the familiarity and restlessness of fresh eyes to the cold and unfamiliar perspective of the jaded. It is a story about shedding skin - coming into one’s own at a cost. A take on the primal childhood fear of waking up alone at night, unable to see through the dark and yet terribly aware of something hiding there, watching. Our film aims to captivate audiences while speaking to universal themes of loss, nostalgia, and self discovery.

Ever since childhood, film has been a gateway for me to explore worlds beyond my own and make sense of my surroundings. Growing up in Saudi Arabia, where expressions of identity were often stifled, I gravitated toward the diverse stories I saw on screen. Media that pushed the boundaries of the surreal, the supernatural, and dark comedy resonated deeply with me, offering a lens to explore complex themes that were otherwise inaccessible. These genres became a mirror for my experiences, reflecting my struggles with identity, transformation, and rebellion against societal norms. Through creating my own video projects, I began to understand the power of storytelling as a tool for self-expression and social commentary, forging narratives that spoke to my lived experiences and those of others like me. This process helped me build an imaginative space where I felt free to explore aspects of identity and the human experience that I could not express in my day-to-day life.

Your support will help us bring our vision to life!! We have high ambitions for this film’s creative execution, and need all the help we can get to bring it to fruition! Every donation counts and will be deeply appreciated, no matter how small! Thank you for your collective support!!!