Experiencing Interruptions?

Palaio Faliro

Salt water and sand, salt water and ash. On a busy Greek beach, an American woman receives a message from the sea.

  • Kiki Shakti
    Director
    Golden Framboise, Sasquatch on Skis & Bin Caught Stealing Vol’s. 1-3 (Taos Bentley Super 8 Film Festival), Far Away (music video for Tina and Her Pony), Vajazzle (music video for Vanilla Pop), American't & Deleting Me Again (music videos for SOBU)
  • Kiki Shakti
    Writer
    Screenplay: Golden Framboise, Sasquatch on Skis & Bin Caught Stealing Vol’s. 1-3 (Taos Bentley Super 8 Film Festival), Story concept: Vajazzle (music video for Vanilla Pop), Deleting Me Again (music videos for SOBU)
  • Kiki Shakti
    Producer
  • Themistocles Lambridris
    Producer
    The Thing About Greece... A Snowboard Documentary (Documentary), A Right Tool (Short), Head in a Vice (Documentary short), Redneck (Short)
  • Kiki Shakti
    Key Cast
  • David Bebout
    Key Cast
  • Themistocles Lambridis
    Cinematography
    The Thing About Greece... A Snowboard Documentary (Documentary), A Right Tool (Short), Head in a Vice (Documentary short), Redneck (Short)
  • Dave Mansfield
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Experimental, Short
  • Genres:
    Drama, Magical Realism
  • Runtime:
    5 minutes 25 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 18, 2018
  • Production Budget:
    40 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    Greece
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Kiki Shakti

Kiki Shakti is a filmmaker, videography mentor, and the owner and founder of Kiki Love Productions located in Taos, NM.

The child of an unorthodox upbringing with parents who came of age during the Counter Culture’s heyday, Kiki’s youth was sprinkled with glitter, shimmer, rainbows, unicorns, mermaids, and unconditional love. During an unfortunately prolonged angst-ridden, teenage goth-punk phase, the glitter turned black and her darker sensibilities coagulated. This motif, combined with a great appreciation of sci-fi and camp cinema, has been the foundation for her award-winning, and sometimes controversial, films.

Well traveled and well read, Kiki’s work continues to benefit from her galavants. As an artist of many mediums, Kiki delivers eclectic expressions of love unchained by social norms, limited thought, and dogmatic beliefs. Her broad and inclusive world view is much needed in this age of xenophobia, as is her wry humour and dry, sardonic wit. 

Kiki completed her Bachelor of Science degree from the department of Radio Television Film at the University of Texas at Austin in 2003. Kiki's projects include; "Coming Clean," a story of drug addiction told backwards in time; "Golden Framboise," a tricked-out, glam-trash space adventure through the land of camp, which won the award for Best Screenplay at the 2006 CinemaTexas Short Film Festival; "Finding Kinky" a Kinky Friedman Documentary made during his infamous gubernatorial run in Texas in 2006; "Sasquatch on Skis" and "Bin Caught Stealing Vol’s. 1-3," made for the Taos Bentley Super 8 Film Festival, of which Kiki was a managing partner from 2006-­2009. Kiki has produced numerous music videos for bands such as Tina and Her Pony, Vanilla Pop, and Society Burning. Kiki also makes promotional videos for nonprofits and profitable organizations such as True Taos Kids, Twirl, and Shree Yoga Taos.

Kiki has also worked for a variety of nonprofits and school programs as a video mentor, producer and director, including the “Video Diaries Project” at Girltime, and the “Parents Who Host Lose the Most” campaign with Rocky Mountain Youth Corps, involving kids from three local schools. She is the lead video mentor for True Taos Kids’ radio/media program.

Currently, Kiki is completing “Revenge of the Moth,” an animated and live-action short absurd comedy horror expected to be released in 2019.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

After my father died, just before Christmas 2015 of a sudden, surprise heart attack, I stopped taking on video clients and went on an around-the-world trip, financing it with my dad's life insurance benefit. It was a journey both inward and outward, honoring my father while on my way to visit my mother in India.
I started in Australia, where I cast my dad's ashes into the sea. And then, after India, I went to Greece where I stayed with a filmmaker buddy of mine, Clees (Themistocles Lambridis).
He said, "Hey Kiki, while you're here, why don't we make a short film?"
I said, "Ok." He went to work and I went to the beach.
The sound of the rocks under my feet as I walked along the beach in Palaio Faliro inspired this film, along with the experience I'd had in Sydney after throwing my dad's ashes there -- when the ocean responded.
It was weird to be going on this around-the-world trip funded by the death of my father. It was bittersweet, to be sure. He would've wanted nothing less for me, though.
The words that The Father speaks to The Daughter are, primarily, the same words that my father spoke to me in one of our last conversations before he died. So, this film is dedicated to my late father.
I'm particularly proud of the sound design done by my post-production-genius, Dave Mansfield, and the sound of the shell as The Daughter takes it away from her ear. It literally sounds like that action would sound in real life. It's the small things in life that often become so big. Just like this movie and its screening at your film festival.
My father would've wanted nothing less from me.
One of my favorite shots in the film is a shot of legs with the Zia/ "New Mexico stamp" tattoo in the foreground, and the waves of the Mediterranean in the background. At this time when toxic masculinity is so perniciously evident (and is in power even), it is important to uplift a feminine voice that honors the benevolent motives of the patriarchs. This film does that.
Thank you for your consideration,
Kiki Shakti