The making of the Lost Brother

Let me just first clear up the accusations and assumptions the premise of the lost brother was to signify losing who my brother once was before taking the drugs not necessarily death. During the making of The Lost Brother, I made heavy references to Euphoria, an adaptation of the original Euphoria series. This particular series, which I had referred to, was made in 2019 and starred Zendaya. Many of the themes that the series touches on are what I had experienced during that time in my life.

My approach for the making of The Lost Brother was to make the viewer feel as if they were me in the situation this was purposefully done in order to help the viewer engage and relate to the content whether they had experienced it or not there was a level of sympathy and hurt that I wanted to send across to my viewers.The Lost Brother shows a certain amount of intense scenes and uncomfortable scenes that would not make a person want to walk away from but would also make the viewer uncomfortable with how honest and relatable whatever way the content is to the viewer.

There are a lot of zoom-in and split shots in order for the viewer to see two perspectives and two thought processes of what I had been going through. I had chosen the poetic approach for reasons that integrate into my reality being that some things are just hard to say to the person therefore by making it metaphoric I sent a message across without using the words that I had already voiced to my brother before.

And I feel poetry just sums up a lot of feelings and emotions within two lines then explains within a whole paragraph how one feelsThe plotline for the lost brother is surrounded by an idea that I am looking for him as you can see towards the end of the video you could see I following the male figure into an abyss throughout I am yearning for that brotherly attention and love that is occupied by the drugs.

The idea behind the man behind the flame or the shadow behind the flame is self-explanatory I would see him behind the flame light lighting a joint or whatever it may be hence the use of a lot of shadows and a play on the shadows in the video as well as the lighting being warm to signify a flame.The poem itself or this piece may seem deep but it’s quite self-explanatory with regards to the topic it highlights one would be able to understand the premise of what is being discussed and that was done purposefully so that the message should be understood and not self interpreted so anyone could relate to either the situation at hand being drug abuse or the simple divide that siblings may undergo.

This was a dark and quite exposing peace and was kind of an outlet for me to express hidden feelings towards my brother and is quite jarring but it does not let off all hope for my brother as I mention that it isn’t the end of his story so an update on how he is now is quite better and ironic enough it was a phase in reference to the poem it was a phase that I’m so glad it’s over and he is doing much better now so we thank God.Now that the meaning of the lost Brother is aside the actual making of the lost Brother was quite a fun experience ironically enough as my team had a lot of fun with experimentation by using my vision for what I wanted we were able to explore different types of shooting styles and a play on lighting as well as movement and some of the scenes and my coast was so much fun to work with as he added a lot of great creative input and together as well as my team we were able to create something beautifully sad.

To reflect on whether I moved on from what had happened would be to kind of open up a scabbed wound in a sense and with this piece of work I did do exactly that and also made me realised that I did not quite move on,instead suppressed that emotion and phase of my life so deep into my subconscious that by speaking about it, it made me realise how much damage it caused to my family and I. How do I feel now?. I would say I am properly healing now that he is doing better. I realised that this was a universal situation  through one member of the audience being touched by my peace to a point of them crying in a sense it was sad but also comforted by the fact that  I am not alone in this, and that it’s heartbreaking that so many other people go through this on a day-to-day basis but should stay hopeful and prayerful that they will be a silver lining at the end of the tunnel. I will do better I will feel better as that’s what time does but it had taught me that healing is not a step but a journey that’s long, exhausting, and somewhat painful but it is also attainable. 

I am Malaika Nkechinyere Ntuli  and this was my story.

Script

"A Brother Lost"

 

-monologue-

 

Music| I’m Tired- Labarith

 

Malaika- stands face forward in front of the camera (looking straight into the lens)

{no facial expression}

Shot cuts to…

Male Figure- stands face forward in front of the camera (looking straight into the lens) 

{close up shot to wide shot}

 

[Taking place in a warm lit room]

Sfx: camera sound effects

 

In 2021, the estimated number of illegal drug users worldwide was around 296 million. Overall, and in the past couple of years in South Africa, of the many drug use candidates 4.4%, 7.9% are among men.

And the 0.0001 percentage shares my surname

 

(Camera follows the male figure while the walks through a field/ wilderness/ outdoors)

{semi wide shot Level shot}

 

It felt almost like a dream 

To what I thought it seemed 

 

(Camera cuts to Malaika and the male figure in a dark room with a single flare of a candle light to light up the up the room |semi close up shot)

 

From a young adventurous soul 

To something I almost couldn't behold

 

The color of life you painted so bright 

All darken that one night 

 

(Camera cuts to Malaika and the male figure in a dark room with a single flare of a candle light to light up the up the room| semi close up shot)

{slip camera screen of a front view and alternating from extreme wide lower two shot of both the Male figure and Malaika on a couch}

(wide to close up shot)

 

It started with the secrets you made me tell

illusioned by the many times you said it will be well

 

Malaika and the male figure sit on a couch while he whispers in me my ear)

{Camera zooms from a wide shot to close up shot with transitions in between each frame}  

 

Letting that flame Ingulf you gradually

Thinking this made you happy, I let you use me, but eventually 

(split screen shot of Malaika and male figure looking away from camera)

{Top semi wide shot}

 

You betrayed me time and time again, each worse than the last

Picking out a piece of my trust with every puff and stuff, but i left that all in the past 

 

But what leaves me broken is having seen a soul shine so bright 

Become a shadow to a flame that burn almost every night 

 

(shot cuts to Malaika embracing the male figure in a hug |close up shot)

 

But its normal right as they say, it's not that serious they say, 

Heck you will even burn that flame one day  

 

(Malaika on the room floor with color alternating color front view| wide to close up shot)

 

So i also brushed it away and accepted the new reality 

Not knowing its fatality 

 

Malaika in a room where the male figure is banging on the door)

Sfx: banging on door sounds 

 

The man behind the flame grew rageful

And honestly it was just distasteful 

 

You prance leaving a trail of destruction

Causing the household to malfunction

 

(Camera cut the male figure in the outdoors| close up shot)

Sfx: nature sounds

 

With every syllable you spoke being lies 

We gathered around those words like flies 

 

(The male figure whispers to Malaika on a couch)

 

{split screen shot of the Malaika and male figure in to separate stills}  

 

In hopes that you would believe them enough to become them 

Unknowing that we had since lost that gem 

 

Pulling the strings of my mother’s heart

To her unconditional love you pierced a drat

 

(cuts back to Malaika and male figure standing in the outdoor/ in the wilderness| wide to close up shot)

 

For this I could not

there, you lost the plot 

 

From the beast that you fed

You turn around and dread

 

(Camera cuts to Malaika and the male figure’s shadow getting in to a altercation)

{side close up shot}

 

Enough of this I could not heed

As you made all our hearts to bleed

 

So, fought the shadow man behind flame

Having him tower over me like a great Dane 

 

To which I threw my first blow 

To him it was a no show 

 

(cuts to Malaika watching the male figure walking away)

(cuts to Malaika sitting on the couch alone)

{transitions within the shot showing the male walks away}

 

Again, I beat on his chest 

Sobbing just put this to rest 

 

We need you to the head

But you disappoint us instead 

 

(cut Malaika watching the male figure walking away)

(cuts to Malaika standing alone in a room)

{transitions within the shot showing the male walking away}

Sfx: nature sounds

 

 

Oh how i miss your beautiful light 

Could it come it back and make all things right 

 

And with cold, hollow glare 

You just stare

 

(cuts to Malaika watching the male figure walking away in the outdoors)

{wide shot}

Sfx: nature sounds

 

You turned your back 

 And took flight

 

The lost Bother, but this isn't the end of his story 

 

(cuts to Malaika and the male figure greeting each other in the outdoors | wide shot)

 

(show a picture of my brother)

 

The end.