Solar Storm
Based on an idea by Joe Rabl, story by Joe Rabl & Thomas Rushforth, screenplay by Thomas Rushforth
A solar storm hits the Earth sending a city into chaos and three of its inhabitants on a journey of discovery, pursuit and death.
A solar storm hits the Earth sending a city into chaos and three of its inhabitants on a journey of discovery, pursuit and death. "Solar Storm" is a character-driven action drama where the lives of three people coincide as the effects of the storm on electrical infrastructure and human behavior create a dangerous situation of escalating jeopardy.
The story follows: Joe, an ex-gang member who has tried to go straight but when he's made redundant and can't pay his rent is forced by necessity to go back to his criminal past; Jasmine, an economic migrant who is trapped in an abusive relationship and needs to find a way to be free and; Inspector Munro, an experienced 'old-school' police officer who pursues them. They all meet when Joe takes Jasmine hostage after robbing a gas station and escaping Munro's attempted intervention.
As the pair continues to evade the arm of the law, the attentions of a manipulative controlling husband and a betrayed gang hell-bent on revenge, they become close and as they share the stories of their lives a relationship develops, of mutual need...and desire...and they recognize a chance to escape their problems together.
In scenes that alternate between intimate intensity and 'high octane' chase sequences, the themes of financial crises, environmental influence, socio-economic politics, identity and love are explored through the personal circumstances that the characters are forced to confront and try to deal with.
Choice
Original screenplay
A corporate financier (Simon) tries to put his troubled home life to one side as he prepares to complete a major deal. A taxi driver (Benjamin) is rejected by his girlfriend (Anna) who works as a waitress in a dead-end life; something has come between them.
Simon comes across Anna, they've slept together before and he wants to see her again. Before they can meet he's mugged at the same time as Benjamin. These two men, from opposite ends of the social scale, join together in pursuit of the robbers. When they find them they come across a grisly scene, reclaim their affects and leave in a conspiracy that they hope will not change their lives.
On the morning of the deal Simon wakes up in bed with Anna...she is wearing a bomb. His phone rings and he is blackmailed by an anonymous voice to change the deal with the threat of exploding the bomb if he fails to comply or goes to the authorities.
They leave the hotel and get into Benjamin's taxi. It is an uncomfortable reunion with the revelation of the affair but there's no time for confrontation.
Benjamin looks on anxiously as Anna sits outside the office building with innocents passing-by and Simon conducts the meeting inside changing the deal as required.
The deal is completed, the bomb is disengaged...and then Benjamin kidnaps Anna. Simon tries to intervene unsuccessfully and is left behind.
Benjamin reveals to Anna that it was him behind the plot and now he's been paid their money worries are over. But finding out about her and Simon has shattered his world and he decides to explode the bomb. Meanwhile Simon tries and fails to find Anna, eventually giving up and deciding to fly home. Anna isn't ready to comply with Benjamin's 'romantic' gesture. Despite the accident of choice she's had her own agenda all along...
DJUNA
Adapted from the novel THE FOUR CHAMBERED HEART (& other works) by Anais Nin, screenplay by Thomas Rushforth
A young dancer, DJUNA, believes in love. She finds her
complement in the chaotic storm that is RANGO, a gypsy guitarist.
In the middle of a Paris that was inhabited by artists, prostitute
and revolutionaries they create the world from the beginning of two
in the magical safety of a barge on the Seine. Despite the
conventions of her up-bringing that pursue her, DJUNA follows her
heart which leads her into the malevolent contact of ZORA, RANGO’S
crippled wife. DJUNA finds that her attempt at capturing all that
is inspiring and liberating in love leads to despair. There is no
escape if you confront the illusion of wholeness, it is a
connection of fragments; but this reality exists as the dawn
follows the night...
The Art of War
Original idea
Michael (an impoverished, talented artist) sells a forgery of an Impressionist painting to Besnik (an organised crime gang leader) who is being investigated over an imminent drugs deal by Maria (a career-focused undercover police officer). Besnik attempts to rape Maria and she violently defends herself. Maria is thrown off the case and seconded to Arts and Antiques to assist Oliver (an obsessive researcher for the Looted Art Commission) who researches the provenance of the real Impressionist painting being held at an Auction House.
Ana Maria (Maria's grandmother) moves house and gives Maria some sketches of an Impressionist and Old Master she kept from a love affair with David (Michael's grandfather) in Lisbon during the Second World War. David had to identify his own family's looted paintings being escorted by Matthias (Oliver's grandfather); including the Impressionist which was sold in Portugal because it was 'degenerate' and the Old Master which was shipped to South America.
Besnik discovers he has bought a forgery and uses Michael's debt to him by using him to authenticate the Old Master, stolen in South America and now used as collateral in the drugs deal which has escaped the police operation. Maria shows her grandmother's sketches to Oliver who recognises them from his research and the Old Master one from a study he saw Michael doing. They find Michael and David - Oliver learns about and is reconciled to his grandfather's past and Maria finds out where the drugs deal is being completed and arrests Besnik. The paintings are restituted to Michael and David.