[Closed] It Comes in Waves
Production Company
Lenz Films Inc.
Amir Zargara (Producer)
Fitch Jean (Director)
Shoot Date
May 14-31, 2023
Rate
ACTRA Indie Production (AIP)
Location
Ottawa, ON and the Surrounding area. Production will provide travel and accommodation for actors who reside outside of the Ottawa area.
Union
Union (ACTRA)
Casting by
Self-tapes
Rachel Osbourne (Casting Director)
Production Description
Casting feature film It Comes in Waves from executive producer/director Fitch Jean.
Fitch Jean is a Haitian-Canadian storyteller and filmmaker. He has been shooting short films, interviews, docs, commercials, and music videos for the past 2 years and has won various awards thus far. He usually directs, DPs, and edits his own projects. He has worn all three hats on 2 feature documentaries, 3 Unscripted Web-series (50+ episodes), and various short films, commercials, and music videos. He has also won 6 awards for his short films with 15 selections at various film festivals.
The content of this production may be emotionally challenging. The production will aim to let you know in advance when potentially triggering material will be filmed or discussed.
Synopsis
A family of four escapes the genocide in Rwanda and lands in Ottawa. They quickly learn that the grass is not always greener on the other side. It Comes in Waves tells the story of Akai, a seventeen-year-old boy who has seen more than his share of death, which haunts him. He takes care of his little sister, Zera, while watching his mother suffer through her own nightmares of the past, fueled by narcotics. When things once again take a tragic turn, Akai does what he needs to for him and Zera to survive, and learns some life-changing lessons from her and the experience.
Roles
SONIA (Principal)
Female, mid to late 30s, Rwandese, Black, or East African.
Sonia Uwimana, a mid-thirties Rwandese woman, embodies complexity and depth in her character. We see her as a drug-dependent Tutsi widow and mother who can barely care for herself or her two children. The horrors she tries to cope with are the stuff of nightmares.
The teen mother to her first child, Akai, who was estranged from her upper-middle-class family to build a life with her college student husband, lost her whole family in the country’s tragic genocide. The trauma she experienced from the situation would haunt her forever and lead her to try to distance herself from her Rwandan identity and language once the family moved to North America. Her loss, including the suicide of her Hutu husband, is tied to the butchery that she witnessed in her homeland. In one final tragedy, Sonia's demons eventually got the best of her. The performance of this role includes actions of violence.
HABIMANA (Principal)
Male, mid to late 30s, Rwandese, Black, or East African.
At the beginning of our story, Habimana Uwimana has been dead for almost seven years, but his presence and influence still loom large over the Uwimana family. Plagued by the guilt of his inaction towards the anti-Tutsi sentiment that was growing in Rwanda and at his job, Habimana, a Hutu man, struggled with depression, alcoholism, and domestic violence. As he battled with himself, his relationship with his wife Sonia and his children deteriorated.
Two years after immigrating to North America, Habimana's PTSD became too much to bear, and he took his own life. His death profoundly impacted his family, who were left to grapple with the legacy of the trauma he experienced in Rwanda. The performance of this role includes actions of violence.
Languages: Actor must speak Kinyarwanda.
JUANITA (Principal)
Female, 50s to 60s, Black.
Juanita is the neighbor everyone wishes they had. She’s been living in the same neighborhood for the past 25 years. She got married young to her husband Jerome but unfortunately experienced infertility. The couple dedicated themselves to being parents to many children that needed it in the neighbourhood, babysitting for families as needed. Juanita believed this was Lord’s vision for her and Jerome, but some part of her still remains unfulfilled and wishes she could’ve had a family of her own. She is a teacher who is warm, loving, and wise.
Her retirement came after losing Jerome to cancer. His illness was swift and harsh, like so many others who worked in the factory where he was an engineer. An award from a lawsuit for negligence leading to death, Jerome’s pension, and life insurance allowed Juanita to further herself to the community.
CAPO (Principal)
Male, early 20s, Black.
Andre Hammond, Aka Capo is a 22-year-old career criminal with a 7th-grade education. Like many in his situation, Capo grew up without a proper family structure. Very early on in his life, he had to fend for himself and figure out how to survive. His values are built around street code and the more hardened the person, the more he respects or fears them. He is loyal to his cousin and mentor, Drifty, but not much else.
Capo puts himself first and will not hesitate to drop anyone at the expense of his own self-preservation. Capo’s a very volatile individual that jumps head-first into conflict, his fight-or-flight nature comes from the shaky and uncertain setting in which he grew up. The performance of this role includes actions of violence.
COACH PATTERSON (Principal)
Male, late 30s, Black.
Coach Patterson is commanding yet warm and welcoming with a father-like quality. To Akai, his influence goes beyond Athletics. A former athlete, he strongly believes that sports can be a way to teach about so many different things in life. The Coach is a product of the neighborhood who returned after playing football and running track in college to work with the kids from the community and foster the next generation of talent. He sees a lot of himself in Akai’s potential and knows that Akai is troubled and needs guidance. Although he fills his time with community work, Coach Patterson is a lonely divorcee.
NORM(Principal)
Male, late 40s to 50s, White.
Norm is a motel manager who can turn a blind eye for a few bucks. He isn’t beyond taking financial advantage of vulnerable people to pad his pockets. On the surface, Norm comes off as unfeeling but will do the right thing in a pinch.
POLICE OFFICER(Principal)
Male, late 30 to 50s, Any Ethnicity.
A tall, muscular police officer. He’s focused and believes he’s doing well for the community and is sensitive to their vulnerability.
RWANDESE MAN (Principal)
Male, 40s to 60s, Rwandese.
An immigrant man who is active in the community. He has pride in his homeland despite its storied history, he believes the community can heal by coming together.
Languages: Actor must speak Kinyarwanda.
BRAD (Principal)
Male, late 30s to 40s, Any Ethnicity.
A youth counselor who saw Akai briefly as a child. His very direct approach wasn’t as effective as more trauma-informed methods of therapy.
SHARON (Principal)
Female, 40s to 50s, White.
Sharon is a straight-to-the-point social worker from Child Services who’s been at her job long enough to form a prejudice about how families usually work. Her experience lends to a more cautious approach to empathy in her cases.
MR. FOWAZ (Actor)
Male, 50s to 60s. South Asian.
Mr. Fowaz owns the neighbourhood convenience store where Akai works. He’s a quiet man who’s very observant and weary of the dangers in the community. He and Akai have a shorthand and trust that gets tested in times of desperation. The performance of this role includes actions of violence.
YOUNG AKAI (Actor)
Male, 9 to 12, Black or East African.
At his young age, 9-year-old Akai, has survived a genocide, being a refugee, and now witnessing and experiencing the violence of his parents. The performance of this role includes actions of violence.
[submissions closed]
