Kazimi, AliBenson, Adrien Alexander2020-05-112020-05-112019-092020-05-11https://hdl.handle.net/10315/37396Abstract Daffodils is a 19-minute narrative comedy about two estranged siblings who reconnect over the course of a robbery-gone-wrong. When Martha falls into heavy debt following a break-up, she tricks her brother Frank, a reformed criminal-turned-locksmith, into helping her break into her ex-boyfriends house to steal a precious family heirloom. As Frank uncovers the depth of his sisters financial and emotional troubles, he must reckon with the limits of his sibling loyalty. The film projects comedy as a legitimate variation on the dramatic form, one that can be at once hilarious and heartfelt. Unlike the looser improvisational hangout comedies popularized in the mid-2000s, I wanted Daffodils to employ a more formal technique akin to the precise and meticulous works of filmmakers like Billy Wilder and Edgar Wright. Their films exhibit a distinct rhythm that is both comedic and incredibly cinematic. While I certainly dont wish to mimic their styles, I look to their oeuvre as a roadmap for finding my own. As much as it is a technical exercise in the craft of farcical comedy, Daffodils is also a deeply personal exploration of loyalty, responsibility, and the redemptive power of family. Through the prism of a comically absurd situation, I wanted to reflect on my own insecurities relating to wealth and success, as well as my own limitations as an artist and a person. Ultimately, this film is meant to entertain, yet I hope it also speaks to a deeper truth about the efforts we must undertake in order to maintain the meaningful connections in our lives.Author owns copyright, except where explicitly noted. Please contact the author directly with licensing requests.Film studiesElectronic Thesis or Dissertation2020-05-11FilmFilmmakingFilmmakerComedyShortFarceCrimeFamilyHeirloomLoyaltyRelationshipSiblingBrotherSisterExConvictCriminalEx-boyfriendHouseRobberyBurglarySet pieceBilly WilderEdgar WrightFrancis VeberImprovImprovisationRhythmHumourLaughsNarrativeRobbery-gone-wrongReformed criminal