Eden for Two
A Short Pilot Film Written & Directed by Colin Henning
NEW YORK CITY. 1989. While Hungary remains under Communist control, two Hungarians escape to the United States in search of a new life, or at least new friends.
Upon arriving in NYC, two Hungarians find themselves with opposing views of starting over in America. István, afraid of leaving his culture and home behind, is clinging to his yet-to-arrive girlfriend, while József is ready to treat himself to the American experience. Caught in the middle is their neighbor, Maria Louise, whose life and routine is joyfully upended by the arrival of two new friends.
Cast
Hayleigh Hart Franklin
Maria Louise
Brian D. McCormack
József
Colin Henning
István
Notes from the Director – Colin Henning
To look at America through the lens of how it impacts peoples’ lives, is to see it for all the possibilities it can be. With two immigrants coming from communist Hungary, the consumer-driven, skyscraper-laden, loud city can symbolize anything –promise or isolation. For the NYC born-and-raised waitress, it’s the background to her life –which largely depends on her Wall Street boyfriend for excitement.
Eden for Two is all about conflicting elements. The different viewpoints of Hungary, of America, of how to move forward, is reflected in the style and genre(s) of this piece. Intended to straddle the line between home movies and grand cinema, Eden for Two is constantly putting together contrasting elements: cinemascope-inspired widescreen with claustrophobic settings; humor with melodrama; classical music in a technology-driven age. This allows the setting to be anything in any given moment; to be exciting, lovely, or lonely. The style lends itself to the characters’ points of view. So in the end, it is the characters that affect how we see the setting –and tone– as opposed to the setting & tone informing how we see the characters. This is because community, more than any place, is home.
Watch the Trailer below:
PUBLICITY
BEHIND-THE-SCENES
