The Magician is a short drama that explores what it’s like when everything you hold dear to you begins to disappear. Through the eyes of two married stage magicians, the film deals with love, death and identity upon the backdrop of their daily struggle with dementia and a lingering request for an assisted death.
We are a team of independent award-winning filmmakers, both student and professional, that need your help in order to produce this story. Your support will ensure that we can bring this story to life in the hope that it sparks a discussion about living with a terminal illness and the right for self-determination.
The Magician follows successful stage magicians, Teddy and Marian, as they rehearse an underwater straitjacket escape alongside their nightly stage performances to thousands. Slowly but surely, dementia begins to show in Teddy, no matter how resourcefully he manages to hide it. First it’s just a word on stage, but soon enough he is underwater in a straitjacket and unable to remember how to escape.
Unable to hide the progressing dementia, he finally admits his condition to Marian before voicing his desire to not live through to the end of the disease. Years pass and we find her caring for a well progressed Teddy. He can no longer wash or dress himself. He now lacks the cognitive ability to recognise not only Marian but also his own reflection. Now, most importantly, he also lacks the ability to determine the outcome of his life, leaving Marian with the hardship of deciding whether or not she can carry out the ultimate act of love.
The Magician will also be donating 10% of all funds raised to Alzheimer’s Australia. By supporting this campaign not only will you be enabling us tell this story, but you will also be raising funds for the Alzheimer’s Australia Dementia Research Foundation; a foundation that funds research that is vital to finding a cure for this fatal disease.
Our goal is to raise $6000. As young up-and-coming film makers we need the help of those around us to bring this story to life. We are funding the majority of this film from our own pockets but we need your help to get us over the line.
Your support will not only enable us to make ‘The Magician’, but it will help us bring more awareness to one of Australia’s largest healthcare issues.
The funds we are able to raise will be going directly towards the following:
– Location hire
– Underwater and Steadicam operator hire
– Camera and lighting equipment
– Costumes and makeup
– Production Design
– Film stock and processing
– Catering for our volunteer crew
– Post production
10% of all funds raised will be donated to Alzheimer’s Australia.
But, most of these people need to be paid. In order to complete our film to the highest standard, we need your support. So please, help us make this project a reality by clicking PLEDGE NOW and support local filmmaking.
For any business, press, marketing or other enquires, please feel free to contact us at
themagicianshortfilm@gmail.com
*All shipping rates are based on Australian postal prices. If you are donating from an international address, please contact us.