Flower on Concrete

Heya and welcome to our fundraising page for ‘Flowers on Concrete’!

Flowers on Concrete is a short film, that through a coming-of-age story set in Berlin, takes us onto the slippery slope of radicalization where we delve deeper into the blurry lines between right and wrong.

As polarization in Europe (and across the globe) seems to take a hold of society more and more each day, we think right now it is crucial to explore the discomfort and frustration that this makes people feel in everyday life. We see societies all around the world splitting up into left and right, a development which we are watching with great concern. By letting go of the broad socio-political perspective and zooming all the way into the experience of an individual we want to break out of narratives devoid of humanity and move the conversation from judgemental apathy to considerate empathy.

Story & vision

18 year old Eddie (Eduard Wimfield) just moved to Berlin with his parents. Despite coming from a wealthy family that seems to have everything, something seems to be missing in his life. He is very alien in the vast concrete jungle of Berlin and has still a lot to learn. The world seems to be drowning in chaos. One crisis follows the next one, yet Eddie can afford to not care, being the privileged spoiled boy that he is. But only for so long. His mundane and sheltered life takes a drastic turn as a social media scandal involving his parents makes the news. Frustrated and thirsty for change he decides to run away for a night. This is where he meets Daisy, an anarchistic leftist from the opposite end of society. Eddie and Daisy who couldn't be more different form an unlikely bond and go on an ecstatic journey through love and crime in Berlin. Finally we realize that Daisy has some unfinished business with the Wimfields to take care of for which she needs Eddie. A new chapter in our hero’s life begins in which he will turn from a quiet nerdy boy into a radical vengeful force. A troubled teenager who had the right intentions ends up on the wrong path.

Motivation

My name is Dimitri Kesper, a 24 year old Audiovisual Design student at the Willem de Kooning Academie in Rotterdam. As someone with a mixed Russian-German heritage, I grew up between two fronts that don’t tolerate or sympathize with each other. This contradiction between countries, cultures, people and ideologies has been a constant challenge in my life. This is why I wanted to make this a central theme in my graduation project, especially now that in the current times polarization into extremes seems so widespread. Which is how eventually the idea for “Flowers on Concrete” was born!

While being confronted with the socio-political crises of our times in an age of widespread access to information it seems increasingly difficult as an individual to act and do the right thing. We all feel in some way that there needs to be a change, but these larger than life generational issues seem outside of our grasp, leading to discomfort and frustration. Yet, at the same time some of us can afford to look away, while others are caught right in the line of fire. When do we stand up and how do we know we’re fighting for the right cause?

With Flowers on Concrete I want to explore these themes of privilege and safety versus hardship and rebellion. This is why I want to challenge the path of choice and the lines between right and wrong on an individual level, as sometimes all it takes is a little push to fall prey to radical ideas; "The way to hell is paved with good intentions.”

Cast & Crew

Of course, I would never be able to realize this project all by myself and that is why I am stoked to introduce you to the amazing people that are by my side to make the best out of this story.

You!

And last but not least there is you, whom we want to thank for being interested in Flowers on Concrete in the first place (and reading all the way till here ;)). With your donation we want to ensure quality by getting the right tools and equipment so we can achieve the intended style and corresponding vision for the film. However, most of all we want to make sure the cast and crew can receive well deserved catering and compensation during the making of the film. Together we can make great things happen and any form of support is appreciated immensely!

Have a look at our instagram to see more of the project: https://www.instagram.com/flowers_on_concrete/.