Wake up
On a regular morning, Maya - a girl obsessed with conspiracy theories and who finds it hard to believe mainstream media - wakes up from a strange nightmare. Shortly she realizes it was just a dream and she starts to follow her daily morning routine. It is already 502 days since Maya is locked up in quarantine after a global virus outbreak. She believes the world has been shut down to prevent further spread. Nobody is allowed to go out of the house and she really has a hard time dealing with that situation. Maya has not seen her friends every since. During her work-out, strange things are starting to happen. Without having ordered anything a package is delivered at her door. Wondering and intrigued she takes it inside and starts to investigate the contents. Bit by bit she tries to figure out what it is about. Until she discovers a shocking truth.
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Mike PasarellaDirector
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Mike PasarellaWriter
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Pasarella FilmProducer
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Emma Fuhrmann VidalKey Cast"Maya de Léon"
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Ariadna WalshKey Cast"Anna"
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Pere MolinaKey Cast"News Anchor"
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Adriana PasarellaArt Director
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Freek HenkesSoundtrack
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Project Title (Original Language):Despierta
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Sci-Fi, Drama, Thriller
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Runtime:14 minutes 28 seconds
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Completion Date:June 25, 2020
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Production Budget:1,000 EUR
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Country of Origin:Netherlands
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Country of Filming:Netherlands
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Language:Spanish
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:2.35:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
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Festival de Cinema de GironaGirona
Spain
November 12, 2021
Premiere Spain
Finalist Nominee Best Short -
The Hague Global Cinema FestivalThe Hague
Netherlands
November 13, 2021
Premiere The Netherlands
Winner Best Debut Film / Director
Mike Pasarella is a Dutch Fashion Photographer, Filmmaker and Director with Italian roots. Starting as a casting director for Dutch and American films and commercials, he found his passion for telling stories where reality meets fiction. In his work as a photographer, he tries to find the pure soul of the person and portray it in a raw matter.
Slow build-ups, extreme sound design and elements of sci-fi are three aspects he loves and tries to add to his films. Although Mike entered the film world just recently after years working as an internationally acclaimed fashion photographer, he believes that every film and every story is built upon single images and a well-thought composition.
This film reflect both me personally as well situations where we all sometimes fall into. The routine of life and especially lately, the world during the last months, where we are more and more living alone and work from home. This could hold us back. Dividing the world. Making it harder to break the routine and go forward.
With the film I want to show the danger when we hold on our routines and keep our small sighted thoughts. But I also want to show the light at the other side of the tunnel. The situation looks dark and a horror scene for the protagonist, but there is always hope. And with hope and support from our friends and family we can go through the hardest times in life, becoming a better person.