L A N D O F T H E R I S I N G S U N
Tucked away in a mountainous Bedouin Village in Israel, two young Americans learn of a mysterious prophecy that has brought them together. Now, Celestine Vaughn--a Catholic girl--and Eli Rothberg--a Jewish boy--must unravel a conspiracy in order to save humanity from the throngs of a tyrannical world order.
Land of the Rising Sun
A mystical tale that explores the nature of spiritually-based relationships, and asks,
"Is unconditional love a superpower?"
S Y N O P S I S
The year is 1916. President incumbent, Woodrow Wilson, has just been re-elected to his second term in office after appointing Myron Rothberg, the patriarch of an elite Jewish banking family, the head of a newly established, central Federal Reserve Bank.
A man by the name of Edgar Cayce, a devout Christian and modern-day prophet, has become Wilson’s trusted spiritual advisor. In an undocumented meeting with the President and several of his loyal officials, Cayce prophesied the second coming of Christ.
Panicked, secret government agencies put plans into place that would end the possibility of a Jewish Savior coming to destroy everything that they had worked so hard to build. A subtle message of anti-Semitism begins to spread and slowly gains momentum… History, unfortunately, explains the rest.
New York City, Present day. The sons of international business magnate, Solomon Rothberg, leave their luxury Park Avenue office with just enough time to make it home before Shabbat dinner. The gawky and sentimental thirty year old, Eli Rothberg, contemplates the nature of his own existence, and attempts to understand his deep sense of longing, and profound emptiness. He and his family prepare to leave for Tel Aviv, where his older brother, David, will marry an Israeli bride.
In San Jose, California, a congregation gathers for Latin Mass at a Traditional Catholic Church. Twenty-four year old Celestine Vaughn sits quietly in a pew surrounded by her family. She watches two of her younger sisters as they sing a beautiful duet on the altar as the processional hymn.
Later that day, her parents discover her diary opened to an entry that chronicles sadistic physical abuse inflicted on her by their Parish Priest. Disturbed by the explicit and sacrilegious nature of the entry, Celestine’s parents decide to send her on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land to end her crisis of faith.
In Israel, our two protagonists meet and embark upon an inter-dimensional journey that takes them to the heights of human consciousness and the dregs of human misery. Full of twists and turns, this story will leave you questioning the very nature of reality.
M U S I C
A major theme of this film is tradition versus innovation, or dark (sunset) versus light (sunrise) and the music will carry these themes by melding ancient sounds with modern-day electronica. The dichotomy between the two reminds us that we don’t have to choose one or the other; we can find ways to incorporate both. As we learn that our decisions don’t need to be polarized between two extremes--that everything exists on a spectrum--we move from duality into unity consciousness, which is the ultimate message of the film.
A E S T H E T I C
Imagine a world saturated in exquisite detail… Perfectly curated by a haphazard natural order where everything that falls into disarray does so with artistic flair and finesse. This is a world where the terrain is marked by natural wonders and untold danger: where every living being buzzes around in organized chaos, electrified by a subtle and elusive underlying energy. It feels organic, sloppy, and uncontrived. And yet, it’s also cosmic, ethereal, and awe-inspiring. It is a world woven from sacred geometry to perfectly fit the circadian rhythm that drives all of humanity--everything we’ve ever known and loved--around a dazzling ball of fire in the sky.
Land of the Rising Sun is set in 4 major locations: California, New York, Israel, and The Seychelles. Each possesses its own unique color, mood, and essence, which should be captured in a mystical, slightly over-exposed light that’s fully saturated with its own original color. It’s a melding of bright and airy, and rich and sumptuous.
C O N T R I B U T I O N
We are currently fundraising for our development budget of $350,000 to cover all initial start-up costs. Should you choose to contribute to this project, I believe we’ll have a unique opportunity to inspire others to re-awaken, and expand their consciousness. It is through this process that we open our hearts and connect intimately with those around us, which, I believe, is the key to filling the void.