Private Project

Blood Orange

Blood Orange is a dark comedy/horror that follows Angela, a young women who’s ability to be so full of herself causes her to lose sight of what is really important and fall into a trap that isn’t so easily escaped. Angela is obsessed with getting out of town, ignoring her best friend, Em in favor of her new job and coworkers who are the start of Angela’s ‘new life’. Angela must either come to the realization that what’s important may not be what’s best for her, or try to run in the bloody wake of her mistakes. You don’t really know what’s truly important to you until it is too late . . . or do you?

  • Aliya Haq
    Director
  • Naomi Haden
    Writer
  • Aliya Haq
    Writer
  • Delenn Kerkhof
    Writer
  • Delenn Kerkhof
    Producer
  • Shara McGlinn
    Key Cast
    "Angela"
  • Susan Gordon
    Key Cast
    "Em"
  • Revon Yousif
    Key Cast
    "Demi"
  • Maya Ru
    Key Cast
    "Bianca"
  • Matt Griffin
    Key Cast
    "David"
  • Alex Halstead
    Cinematographer
  • Ania Bista
    Production Designer
  • Justin Laurel
    Editor
  • Erin Grote
    Sound Mixer/Designer
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Dark Comedy, Thriller, Horror
  • Runtime:
    10 minutes 10 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 26, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    5,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Super 16mm
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes
Director Biography - Aliya Haq

Aliya Haq is a queer identifying Pakistani-American who has been using film as a medium to tell stories ever since she was old enough to hold her father's camcorder. As a fourth year undergrad at Columbia College Chicago, she continues to create pieces that vary in structure and genre, including experimental shorts, documentary shorts, and music videos. Her filmmaking calls for an abstraction of reality, creating unique worlds that encapsulate the potential consequences of humanity's preserved ignorance. Her mission is to expose current issues through imagined worlds, extraordinary characters and their discoveries. Blood Orange, marks the 14th film she has directed in her career.

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Director Statement

Blood Orange is a commentary on contemporary narcissism and the impenetrable bubble that we often create for ourselves to shield from reality, commitment, and responsibility. I wanted to make a film about a character that embodied all the significant flaws I notice in my generation - a lack of engagement with the world around us, the need for instant gratification, and a constant reflection of self that prevents us from sharing our true self to others - all of which I can attribute to our collective addiction to social media and mobile devices. I wanted to set up this character in a world where mirrors represented this technology and the narcissism that is attached to our constant use of it. Angela's compact mirror ends up being more important to her than her best friend, Em, who represents people who are still in tune with their surroundings and the responsibilities of friendship. In this film, I ultimately wanted to create a character that was so unlikeable that it caused the audience to root for their bloody demise. What better way to digest this abstract commentary than in a sharp and in-your-face blended concoction that is the film Blood Orange?