Screen writer and director appeal for funds to make film telling unique Scottish-Ghanain story

An Edinburgh based screenwriter and director have launched an ambitious Kickstarter campaign to raise £10,000 to go towards their groundbreaking short film about a young Black woman with special powers.
Her Midas Touch mock posterHer Midas Touch mock poster
Her Midas Touch mock poster

Touching upon issues of class division, familial tensions, privilege and a torn cultural identity, 'Her Midas Touch' is a timely film that explores not only the parasitic dynamic between a grandmother and her granddaughter, but also the relationship between two Black women and the wider white society in which they live.

The script was written by Lorna King, 28, from Newington and will be directed by Aimie Willemse,31, from Glasgow.

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Victoria Thomas, also from Glasgow, has also recently joined the project as a producer.

The team behind Her Midas TouchThe team behind Her Midas Touch
The team behind Her Midas Touch

Aimie and Lorna met at Scotland’s Screen Academy where Lorna produced the script as part of her coursework.

Their kickstarter began on December 1 and will require the full target amount to be raised by the end of the month.

‘Her Midas Touch’ follows protagonist Esther, a 16-year old Ghanaian-Scot, with super powers that means she can take on other people’s grief.

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This teenage girl's gift is exploited by her grandmother and she is forced to take away wealthy mourners' grief for cold, hard cash.

Esther then realises that she must escape her grandmother's control or else she'll be destroyed by it instead.

But will she be able to?

Lorna added that she was motivated after seeing a friend grief stricken at their mother’s funeral.

In that moment she wished she could take the pain away from her.

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Lorna said: “There is a clear market for more diverse and fresh stories with protagonists of colour outside the themes of blatant racism, gang life, crime and drugs.

“We wanted to tell a story that was different and unique whilst at the same time tackling important issues like the clash of cultures that can often happen between Ghanaian-Scottish elders and the younger members of the family.

“As well as my friend - I was also inspired by this idea of Juju within African cultures. The idea that magic does exist and it can be dark is so exciting.

“Beyond 1745, which was fantastic, there has not been a lot of contemporary short films involving young Black Scots. We hopefully can create a piece of art that will create a relatability for an often forgotten community in Scotland.

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“If one of us is unseen then none of us are free. Not having proper representation is so bad for society as a whole.”

On the project, Aimie, said: “This project means everything to me as it is an exciting opportunity to tell a old story in such a unique way that captures not only the dynamic of the core parasitic relationship but also underlying social divide between our leads and the family they are providing the service too.

“I love the supernatural elements that amplify and visualise the physical toil this abusive relationship is having on Esther and in a way that transcends barriers of language so it is universal.

“I plan to use genre films to prove that Scotland, the UK and beyond has a hunger for more diverse visual storytelling and believe that Her Midas Touch must be told now to help achieve this.”

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