BLADES OF GRASS
LOGLINE
In a post-apocalyptic shanty town, Cutter must return to the tribe he abandoned and leverage his birthright to unite the warring peoples.
SUMMARY
After cataclysmic collapse, the survivors of a port town called Makwawanii have split in two: the Semno and the Crik. Cutter, a star Semno warrior, comes upon the only working automobile he has seen since childhood. Interpreting this as a sign to search for a better life, he turns down the offer to captain his own team and leaves his people behind.
On the road out, the car hits something, forcing an encounter with the last known mechanic in the area. To their utter confoundment, when they reach the site of the wrecked vehicle, it appears to have vanished.
Utilizing an entheogenic brew, which includes Cutter’s own blood, the mechanic reveals the true history of Makwawanii’s division. Cutter learns of the disagreement between gods causing the tribal schism and his place in its repair. Gifting him the highly sought after recipe to the brew, the mechanic magically masks Cutter’s identity without his knowledge, so that he may return to claim his birthright as unifier and leader.
Making the rounds upon arrival, Cutter finds himself miraculously replaced in all his roles, as if he never existed. As an unrecognizable stranger, Cutter is rejected by those he previously trusted and loved.
With the aid of a barkeep who serves both tribes, he begins gathering the information and team needed to disrupt the local struggle for power and territory. Once the visionary qualities of his entheogenic, blood-infused brew are tested with his team, he ventures into dangerous territory to make a trade for weapons to upend a momentous inter-tribal exchange.
The rogue team seizes upon this unique opportunity and creates bloody chaos at the site of exchange. Cutter narrowly escapes death and encounters the vanished vehicle. He once again receives the call towards a life beyond Makwawanii’s borders.
Returning to his Semno base with supportive elders, Cutter proves his birthright as leader with his brew, but instead of tending to his people, leaves with the vehicle…
Artist Statement
Blades of Grass sprang from a call to understand the land on which we resided in Georgia, to take aim at the problematic elements of the hero's journey, and to decolonize our mythmaking towards a regenerative model.
Thanks to a network established by documenting the movement to integrate indigenous wisdom into contemporary culture, our first two readers were Native American elder storytellers who gave us the confidence to pursue this dream. We believe there is a great opportunity for Native and Caribbean talent (lineages brought together by the conquistador age) in front of and behind the camera for this epic, futurist vision.
This script is the first chapter, and we are interested in co-creating the solution to the problems it poses in subsequent chapters with the team we attract.
WHAT READERS ARE SAYING
"Your script is so very smart and well thought out. It's as if someone just handed [the director] an epic fantasy with all of the drawings, history, character designs and unique languages […] the script is very eloquent and for me it’s like I just read the Bible written in Pidgin-English. I love everything about what you’ve achieved [...] it’s a very unique and personal mythology. I don’t often have the chance to read such scripts. It’s not a quick-read. It demands focus and respect. It’s completely your unique vision." - Nico Soultanakis (writer/producer The Fall, Immortals, The Cell)
“You guys really can write” - Frank Wulliger, Gersh Agency
The Black List readers:
"The character-driven story feels slightly influenced by APOCALYPTO and MAD MAX, with plenty of octane coursing through the veins of the script, which coalesces into a compelling third act and resolution. The writers lob plenty of set pieces and danger at its characters, which also feels in the vein of PT Anderson and Tarantino. There's a deeper commentary about community and survivalism, as Cutter feels like an isolationist, yet can never let go of the notion that identity is constructed from one's community."
"The allegories conjure up the divisive societies and cultures in 21st Century America, yet the writers never beat the audience over the head with their messaging. Without question the writers are talented, and they present their story with a fresh voice, while being accessible to wide audiences, which should appeal to reps who are looking to expand their roster of character-driven genre writers."
"BLADES OF GRASS has a lot of great elements going for it. Conceptually speaking, the premise of following a young man on a mission to return to his tribe and utilize his birthright in order to help the intense conflict at hand was definitely emotionally compelling and very engaging to watch unfold on the page."
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