By Beth David, Editor
Fairhaven resident and University of Rhode Island student Alyssa Botelho’s latest short film To Dust All Return, produced by Bethany Fernandes, has wrapped principal photography at the Aptucxet Trading Post in Bourne, MA. The crew consisted of University of Rhode Island students, alumni, and local New England filmmaking professionals.
The suspenseful drama set in 1710 New England centers around a young girl living alone who is suspected of practicing witchcraft. A powerful man, a friend of her father’s, visits her to interrogate her.
From there, a bit of back story unfolds, including that her mother has been sent away.
Written and directed by Ms. Botelho, the film captures the tense atmosphere of New England during the witch trials. It explores the nature of good vs. evil, the power dynamics between men and women in this time, and the lengths someone will go to make things “right” again.
The eight-minute film was another class project for Ms. Botelho, who created Junkie, a short film that screened at Fairhaven Town Hall in January, 2020, just before the pandemic hit.
The new film should be “really cool for people who are into the history of the period,” said Ms. Botelho.
She said she made sure every detail was right for the time period, and people who know will be interested in those details. The movie was shot at the Aptucxet Trading Post in Bourne, Mass., adding to its authenticity.
She also said there are some “suspenseful elements” to it for people who enjoy suspense.
The crew has finished filming, and Ms. Botelho has screened the “fine cut,” which is the cut without sound design, music, or color (yes, color gets added). They should finish up production in the next week or two. Then it will be screened on May 20th at Misquamicut Drive In-Theater in Westerly, Rhode Island, with other films. Find Film/Media at the University of Rhode Island on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/groups/urifilm for a link to sign up for free tickets.
The group is also looking to raise money through crowd funding site, IndieGoGo. The next fund-raising phase will cover the costs of entering the film into as many contests as they can pay for.
New York City actress Paulina Knaak, The Actor’s Foundry trained David Prottas, and SAG-AFTRA actor Duncan Putney played the roles of Amity Smith, Enoch Adley, and John Smith, respectively.
The film will be screened in Ms. Botelho’s home town, hopefully in the auditorium at Town Hall, in October, when there will also be a question and answer period for attendees.
Find more details on the Facebook page @ToDustAllReturn and the IndieGoGo crowdfunding page (igg.me/at/todustallreturn), where the creators are seeking contributions to meet its $5K goal.
Ms. Botelho is graduating this year from URI, and said she has a “few avenues” she is pursuing. She has a job in the field, and she will be pursuing her own projects.
“I’ll keep making stuff up,” she said. “I’ve been dying to do one about Fairhaven set in the center of town.”
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