The Story

In a post-apocalyptic world ravaged by Mother Earth's destructive forces, Pearl, her sole surviving daughter, emerges from the ashes of former life. Earth has suffered at the hands of Fire, Water, and Wind, while Pearl, their sister, and the soul of Mother Earth's spirit, remains. With a heavy heart, Pearl endeavors to restore the once-beautiful planet, unaware of her mother's intent to deny Earth's lost souls a second chance. All that remains of life is one single seed. Mother Earth reveals that hatred poisoned the planet, eroding respect and appreciation among its people, who turned a blind eye to the damage they caused. However, Pearl realizes her mother, too, has turned a blind eye and closed her heart to humanity. Defying her mother's wishes, Pearl rises above her and consumes the last seed from Earth. In sacrificing her own body, she nurtures a tree of life, offering humanity a new beginning.

The World

The world of Pearl Rising is set against a post-apocalyptic background, with humanity gone and Earth destroyed at the hands of Mother Earth and her elemental children, Fire, Water, and Wind. What is left behind are only ashes and dust, memories of the past, and no hope for the future except for one single Seed.

At the heart of this world now lives a broken Tree of Life, that causes the holy space in which Mother Earth and her daughter Pearl reside, to crumble as it is slowly dying.

The feeling of dread and hopelessness reflects in the world of Pearl - a sense of having reached the end of time and the knowledge that nothing can be the same again.

The Characters

Pearl is a pure creation, born from Mother Earth herself, with the ability to withhold a storm but die from a broken heart. She holds unwavering hope in humanity and would sacrifice herself for the greater good without spearing a thought. All her life she looked up at her elemental sisters - Fire, Water, and Wind in awe of their force and strength, seeing herself as the weakest one, she will soon discover that she has more courage than she could ever imagine.


Mother Earth, the essence of all life and creator of nature, is a radiant soul that got ravaged and tortured by humanity to a point of no return. Her goal is for Earth to regenerate without humanity. From her body, she birthed 4 daughters - Fire, Water, Wind, and Soul (Pearl). Pearl is most precious to her, as she is not just an element of nature, but an element of Mother Earth herself.

Artistic Approach

Mise en Scène: "Pearl Rising" is an extraordinary narrative that intertwines poetic words underlined by music, and sounds of a post-apocalyptic era through a well-choreographed relationship between mother and daughter, fighting for the future of humanity.

Performance Art: I intend to design a performance with both characters, in collaboration with a choreographer, that pushes the spoken words and directs the rhythm of the film. Body language and movement evokes and immerses the audience in a shared emotional experience of a world in pieces. We will also embark on collaborations with a music composer and sound designer to create a captivating and otherworldly experience.

Cinematography: The cinematography is a prominent collaboration and will seamlessly intertwine with the performance, featuring continuous movements in long takes. By incorporating 3D virtual backgrounds, we ensure the audience remains fully immersed in the narrative, guided by the synchronized choreography of both performers and camera. Embracing the experimental nature of this film, we intend to meticulously craft all movements in pre-visualization, leveraging the potential of filming on a virtual production stage to its fullest extent.

Costume Design: Mother Earth and Pearl will dress in out-of-this-world costumes, embodying celestial purity, and earthly essence. Their costume accentuates character movement, forging a distinct visual presence that symbolizes a representation for—and connection with—all humanity.

Production Design: In this holy realm, the design reveals an unparalleled sight. In between the Heavens and Earth, where Mother Earth and her children dwell, by nature's own creation itself. At the heart lies a fractured Tree of Life. The film's design consists of two parts: virtual backgrounds that bring the expansive 3D world to life, and an intimate world built practically.

Make Up & Hair Design: In our quest to represent all of humanity, we aim to create a distinctly unique make-up and hair design. The aesthetic will not only reflect our vision, but also convey an additional layer of devastation, particularly for the character of Pearl.

Her body is ravaged by the scars of Mother Earth's destructive force.

Visual Effects/Special Effects: We embrace the boundless possibilities afforded by filming on a volume stage, leveraging cutting-edge technologies. Doing this will not only elevate the space and the performance for the artists, but also give us the opportunity to change the environment in real time. It also allows us to start production before filming begins by crafting environmental assets to evoke the sensation of being in an unknown holy realm that now is only formed by ashes.

Look: Overall, the film’s visual aesthetic will be gloomy and dark, with texture of ashes and dust, yet color subtly weaves its undertones. Mythology stands as a vital element, infusing meaning and narrative into each frame, movement, and object.