Across The Ocean

Though from two different countries and two different cultures, Holly, a young executive from California, and Nila, a mid-20s software engineer from Cochin share one dream – of traveling abroad. Holly is unenthusiastic about her current mundane job and life, and dreams of travelling the world. Nila has her eyes set in migrating to USA, by finding a US-working fiancée.
But an opportunity to work in Kerala, India means to Holly choosing between her dream and her job, family, and relationship. And Nila, who’s ready to settle in US with her fiancée, gets a shock when he tells her that he intends to settle in India post-marriage. Both ladies realize that if they want to get to their dreams, they have to take a bold step at the right moment.

Director

Nicole Donadio: Los Angeles based writer and director. M.F.A. from Loyola Marymount University in Film and TV Production in 2010. Various jobs in the entertainment industry, including as assistant to Executive Producer Carrie Ann Inaba, as well as positions at FOX’s American Idol, and ABC’s Castle. Directed a short trailer titled The Women of Wall Street- Parody of the Oscar nominated film, The Wolf of Wall Street. Got featured in the Huffington Post, InTouch Weekly, Time Magazine, as well as on ABC7 News – NY. Most recently, Web Content Producer on The Queen Latifah Show and the Tyra Banks talk show, FABLife.

Uma Kumarapuram: Filmmaker specializing in Cinematography, hailing from Kerala, India. Started working in the south Indian film industry since 2010, and currently working in Malayalam Film Industry and Bollywood as Second Unit DP, with 13 feature films so far in filmography in the position of camera crew. Own projects as a DP include Rampunthanavaruthi(in post production), an experimental Feature film on the backdrop of International Film Festival of Kerala, Aliveni, an acclaimed Musical short, directed by the well-known designer Jayaram Ramachandran; Jara, a short film directed by the renowned musician Sreevalsan J Menon, among various short films, music videos and documentaries.

Director’s Note: Across The Ocean is an 80-minute bilingual narrative fiction in the genre of comedy-drama, portraying an inter-cut narrative pattern of two parallel stories happening in India and the USA.

A truly international movie in every aspect, Across The Ocean is a cultural exploration between India and the US. And it is directed by Nicole Donadio and Uma Kumarapuram from two ends of the world (if one may say so!). Much similar to their characters, Donadio and Kumarapuram were two strangers from two continents, who met online coincidentally. And they are making this movie with the help of technology and a little ingenuity.

Using numerous websites and web-based services to virtually collaborate– beginning with Gmail, Facebook, Twitter, Skype, Whatsapp, Kickstarter, Wishberry, WeTransfer, MailChimp, Celtx, G-Drive, Dropbox, Vimeo, FilmFreeway- whatever web-based services are there to connect two people across the globe, the makers have tried most of it. An exploration of indie filmmaking in the truest sense in this digital world, making use of all the technology available, perhaps Across The Ocean might be the first of it’s kind, where geographical distance was not a trouble in making one movie.

Set in contemporary timeline, Across The Ocean tells the story of how each women finds in herself, the courage and drive to make their dreams come true, even in the face of adverse conditions. It’s a story about two women, divided by continents, culture, language and social setups but united by the passion and determination towards their dreams.

Similar to our characters, we – the filmmakers Nicole and Uma – live in two cities thousands of miles apart. We met online, through Facebook and Gmail. Despite the seeming differences in the life and culture, we realized as we chatted, that we have a lot in common regarding our thoughts, dreams, ideas, and career situations and challenges we faced, and our casual chatting turned into a discussion about the possibility of doing something together – perhaps a movie! And what the movie is about is exactly what we want to say too – to remind one not to settle for anything less than what one wants.

It took us 2 years of lengthy email chains, more than 20 rewrites and double the number of drafts, and a meticulous planning and detailing on each and every aspect of the movie, before the project was moved into the production phase.

The movie was shot in Cochin and Los Angeles simultaneously by two independent crews, and the footage was later compiled and edited together seamlessly into one feature film, making the whole project a truly international one with a global perspective.

The script and the story it tells is incredibly unique in treatment, even when it’s a universal theme of chasing one’s dreams or going with one’s heart. And the contrasting characterization of the protagonists serves the purpose of global perspective better, supported well with the mirroring of a bunch of characters in both their lives- the love interest, the best friend(s), the family, and the boss- influencing the lives and decisions of the protagonists, which seem dissimilar on a first glance, but similar in the deeper levels.

On a philosophical or ideological level, the movie is a female centric movie, with gender-equal characterization and a strong feminist view in the core, told in a colourful, light-hearted way uncompromising in the entertainment values. If advancement in technology is made use of to make this unique film, it is the desperate call for gender balance within and behind the camera which makes this project a necessity in the contemporary times.