Una: A Dark Faerie Tale
The Arthurian Legend of Lady Ragnell and Sir Gawain is reborn in NYC as an erotic, fantasy-horror film.
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Daniel HarrayDirector
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Daniel HarrayWriterQuietus
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Boman ModineProducerThe Party's Just Beginning, Frederick, Criminality, Forgiveness, Brown Paper, Drown, Classless, Puzzle, Let There Be Rain, The Grand Theft
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Loren DunnProducerAna and Anthony in Love
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Patrick RoperProducerWilt, A Thousand Years
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Daniel HarrayProducer
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Jenny StrassburgKey CastSpace Dogs, Stood Up, Mother of the River
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Loren DunnKey CastBoardwalk Empire, A Day in the Life of a Dancist American, Running Buddies, Couch, As the World Turns, One Life to Live
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Robert KrakovskiKey CastHold Me, Quietus, Struggle, Jane
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Jean TaflerKey CastThe Deadly Spawn
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Warren KelleyKey CastChoice, Bluebloods, Birdman or (The Unexpected Virtue of Ignorance), Boardwalk Empire, Law & Order: Special Victims Unit, The Other Guys, Exceed
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:11 minutes 15 seconds
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Completion Date:November 10, 2016
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Production Budget:6,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:RED
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Boman Modine and I have been dreaming aloud together (mostly in Greek diners over too much coffee) ever since we first met during the filming of "Blindfold" (http://vimeo.com/34497756). We share a writing credit on "Quietus" (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2577444/), but Boman has focused primarily on directing, while I’ve spent the majority of my time in front of the camera--until now.
I’m a professional actor (http://www.danielharray.com/) and originally conceived of "Una: A Dark Faerie Tale" as an acting project. But as I wrote the screenplay, a passion to direct took hold of me. I’ve directed plays before, including "A Dream Play Under NYC" (https://vimeo.com/19874900), but never a film. Boman agreed to become our producer and, with "Una: A Dark Faerie Tale," I stepped happily into the role of first-time film director.
I fell in love with our source material, the Arthurian legend of Sir Gawain and Lady Ragnell, as a teenager. This makes sense because, in addition to the knights, monster, sex, and magic, transformation (so prevalent in adolescence) is a critical story element. Truly, the legend is another version of "Beauty and the Beast," but one inhabited by a female monster...
To create relationships that flourish, the legend tells us, we must recognize our partner's right to self-determination. After hundreds of years, Sir Gawain’s refusal to play by the sexist rules of the curse that hangs over the “loathly” Lady Ragnell still seems intimately heroic.
In making "Una: A Dark Faerie Tale," I have done my utmost to remain true to what I perceive as the heart of the story, while also giving it my own individual spin. Hopefully, this will allow the legend to resonate that much more deeply with a present day audience.