DARWIN SERINK & TOMMEE MAY
ABAN + KHORSHID Darwin Serink recently placed as a quarter finalist in the Nicholl Fellowship for Screenwriting with the feature film Paper Cranes, as well as being an alumni of the OUTFEST Screenwriters Lab in 2011. Serink is a graduate of UCLA’s Professional Screenwriting Program. Tommee May is founder of Come What May Productions. Tommee co-produced and acted in Goats staring David Duchovny and Vera Farmiga. She cocreated and stared in The One ‘N Done series, which can be seen on Funny or Die; and served as an associate producer on The Romantics staring Katie Holmes, Josh Duhamel, and Anna Paquin. Synopsis: In Iran in 2005, a photo was taken of two men on the day they were executed for being gay. Inspired by true events, ABAN + KHORSHID is an intimate and vulnerable portrait of two forbidden lovers, glimpsing into the world in which they met and fell in love. With only a few hours left to live, they share with each other their dreams, their fears, their understanding of what life means to them.
Cast: Bobby Naderi (Khorshid) Mojean Aria (Aban) “This film is dedicated to those who dare to risk their lives for love,” states Aban + Khrshid at the at the end. Writer/Director Darwin Serink delivers an impressive visual narrative, intercutting the story from past to present — from intimate bedroom walls to cold, isolated prison spaces, and ultimately outdoors. Although Aban + Khrshid runs at approximately 10 minutes, the unique structure reveals a lifetime of intimate memories the characters share. To achieve this, Darwin spent months finding visual references, and watching documentaries that represented the look and feel he wanted for the film. “The challenge is telling a story in such a short amount of time, and accepting responsibility for the entire crew,” Darwin said. “Trust your crew, you have to trust everyone. Just do it — just make it. Everyone has their voice and everyone has a story to tell,” Darwin enthused. DIRECTOR: DARWIN SERINK PRODUCER: TOMMEE MAY WEB: ABANKHORSHID.COM
COACHELLA MAGAZINE 63