Private Project

Daffodil

A headstrong oil painter struggles to confront her guilt and grief following the overdose of a best friend, launching her into emotional turmoil as she navigates the meaning of friendship.

  • Adela Papież
    Director
  • Adela Papież
    Writer
  • Hannah Elliott
    Producer
  • Lucy Sugawa
    Producer
  • Mackenzie Holley
    Key Cast
    "Maja"
  • Ulises Otero
    Key Cast
    "Oliver"
  • Somya Jha
    Key Cast
    "Hannah"
  • Lauren Beck
    Key Cast
    "Elena"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Coming of Age
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    April 23, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    4,700 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - University of Michigan
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Adela Papież

Adela Papież is a Polish-American filmmaker from Detroit, Michigan. She attended the University of Michigan, where she graduated as Valedictorian with Highest Honors from Film, Television, and Media. Daffodil is her first directing work. She recently moved to Los Angeles, California to pursue her dreams of becoming a film director. She is very grateful for her family, friends, professors, and everyone who helped shape her into the filmmaker she is today (and is totally pretending she is not writing this herself).

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Director Statement

Daffodil is about dealing with grief and guilt, especially a grief more intense than one expected. On April 21, 2022, my childhood best friend tragically passed away at age twenty from a drug overdose. Throughout my time knowing her, I knew she struggled with a lot in her life. In middle school, we were inseparable. We hung out as much as we could and had the worst inside jokes imaginable. Going into high school, we began to drift apart. We now went to different schools; it was one of those natural separations. We spoke from time to time, but I began to be so busy with other things in my life it became more challenging for me to keep contact with someone I no longer saw everyday. What drove me to write Daffodil was the guilt I felt after her passing. I knew she struggled. I knew she needed someone… so why didn’t I reach out more? These feelings battled inside me for a long time and I felt that no one would really understand my guilt. I turned to the only thing I knew at the time: writing.