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*No fish was harmed during the making of the film*
WHERE IS NOW
“An absurdist spin on our impending doom”
The rain has begun. K, a gentle, strange, and charismatic man has escaped into an absurd world of his own creation where he takes care of his only friend, a tiny fish. As the incessant world news imposes itself, he frantically scribbles formulas on the walls, struggling to find an answer. When the storm builds and threatens K's physical world, he is faced with an impossible decision.
A love letter to the Ocean and its most Majestic Inhabitants - Inspired by the Russian absurdist writer, Daniil Kharms and our beautiful Whales.
Written & Directed by Michaela Lind Starring - Drew Valins & Aquatic Talent Danio Fish PaulProduced by Molly Stark-Ragsdale & Michaela LindCo-producer - Alex Levin Director of Photography - Alex LevinProduction Designer - Paloma Ruvira Costume Designer - Lisa Renee Jordan Hair and Makeup - Dara Fargotstein Editor - Molly Stark-Ragsdale Sound Design - Sean Brennan Color - Maria Carretero Script Supervisor Michelle Karst Assistant Director - Julianne Selemy 1st Assistant Camera Joao Cueto 2nd Camera Assistant - Naomi Pyle StedyCam - Todd Storr Gaffer - Shamus Lobene Lighting Technicians - Andrew Nguyen, Luis Chavez, Stephen Szmed Production Sound - Alejandro Guanche Set Prdouction PAs - Serena Kelly, Rose Carver Art Department Assistant - Maria Marzant Art Direction - Michaela Lind Construction - Elena Vanonni, Gloria Novi VO Actors - David Marantz & Ethan Herschenfeld. Storyboard - Evan Swartz ARA MEDIA in association with Independent Freight Productions Photo - Jordan Hollender
Special Thank You to the generous translators of the works of Russian writer Daniil Kharms:
Matvei Yankelevich of " Today I Wrote Nothing.”
Anthony Anemone and Peter Scotto of "I am a Phenomenon Quite Out of the Ordinary."
Special Thank You to the Amazing team at
Directors statement
One of my first jobs when living in Sweden was working with severely autistic children, painting together with them. I brought in a CD of humpback whale song to one of our sessions together, and I will never forget how the sound of the whale opened up the children. Smiles appeared on their faces, and they started to make sounds in response to the whale sound. The sound of the whales bound us together on a non-verbal and emotional level.
Throughout my life I have often turned to the sounds of whales as a tool for connecting to the deeper non-verbal, even psychic states of self. I believe this potential lies hidden inside us all.
As I started to observe how humanity is furthering its disconnection from the natural world and in particular the ocean and these majestic inhabitants, I felt a deep sense of urgency to make this film. What does it mean for our own existence if we silence the ocean by silencing our whales? What we are silencing within ourselves? And why do we discard the unknown and thereby lock ourselves out of the possibility of connecting though the mystery of sound?
While observing the rapid occurrences of climate change, our plastic problem, and the neoliberal mindset of discarding what is unknown, I tried to orient these feelings and questions through the absurdist writer Daniil Kharms and the films of Roy Andersson and Terry Gilliam, which led me to find a language of my own via the absurd.
Working with this NYC crew was incredible. Creative ideas and solutions were at the forefront. We built our own set from refurbished pieces of plywood and filled it with donated ghost nets from Cape Cod’s Center for Coastal Studies in an old garage warehouse in Brooklyn.
My experience working on this film has taught me how to stay creatively flexible, humble, and on top of all the elements of filmmaking, by observing how transformation can occur through attention to the smallest details.
“Through music, you can cross cultural lines, not because music is a universal language, but because it’s a fluid and emotional form of communication, able to embrace and make use of unknown sounds” - David Rothenberg, WHALE MUSIC
TRAILER
A li’ll whimsical Promo of WHERE IS NOW
Director -Jordan Hollender Production Design - Rachel McIntosh Costume Design - Lisa Renee Jordan Lighting - Richie Bell Actor - Drew Valins Aquatic Talent - Danio fish (Paul) Porducer - Michaela Lind
*No fish was harmed during the making of the film*
Sneak Peak behind the making of WHERE IS NOW
Video Creators Yoni T and Paloma Ruvira