Private Project

Eden

In 'Eden' when a girl first has her period she must begin her “Week of Contemplation” with her Ceremony happening on the seventh day. A Council of men rule the town and determine if the girl gave into temptation and failed or passed her trial.
A girl begins her period and her mother comes to the council to make them aware. The girl then begins her “Week of Contemplation but is drawn to the pomegranate orchard on the outskirts of the town. With each passing day she gives in more and more to taste the tempting fruit. With her consuming the fruit on the sixth day she fails her trial and is buried alive with a new pomegranate tree added to the orchard above her.

  • MJ Johnson
    Director
  • Ada Johnson
    Director
  • MJ Johnson
    Writer
  • Aina Grane Perez
    Producer
  • Emma Schmitt
    Key Cast
    "Girl"
  • Laura Schmitt
    Key Cast
    "Woman"
  • Phillip Picasso
    Key Cast
    "Oldest Man"
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    11 minutes 8 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 2, 2024
  • Production Budget:
    3,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.35.1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Utah Tech University
  • Utah Tech University Screening
    St George Utah
    United States
    December 10, 2024
Director Biography - MJ Johnson, Ada Johnson

Mj Johnson is a versatile writer and designer with a background in theater, where she began her career as an actor and playwright. In her writing, including her project Eden, Mj draws inspiration from real-life experiences and the complexity of humanity. With Eden as her directorial debut, Mj focused on the power of visual storytelling to communicate across all aspects of the film.

Ada Johnson is an emerging filmmaker with a strong foundation in art direction and visual storytelling. Ada enjoys the creative process of bringing a story and space to life through sets, props, special effects, and much more. As the production designer and co-director of the short film Eden, she brings a keen eye for detail and a passion for collaborative storytelling to every project.

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Director Statement

Filmmaking is an art, and we want that to be shown in all aspects of 'Eden'. We believe each part of the production (lighting, camera movements, sound, and visual aspects) should tell its own story as a part of a whole. Each element within the film will be speaking a dialogue to those that understand it in an effort to reach a wider audience.

On top of the physical aspects of filmmaking, the story is what is at the heart of each production. We believe the story of 'Eden' needs to be shared in order to allow opportunities for people to open their eyes and become reflective to see the issues in their communities and how damaging certain ideals and beliefs can be.