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"Solace" is inspired by writer-director Tchaiko Omawale and her personal struggles with an eating disorder and self-harm. Hope Olaidé Wilson portrays Sole, "a 17-year-old girl whom, upon the death of her father, is forced to live with her only living relative, an estranged grandmother, Irene (Lynn Whitfield). Irene eagerly attempts to make up for lost time with her reluctant granddaughter by recreating a semblance of family with her paramour, Clay (Glynn Turman). Things are further complicated by a looming deadline upon which Sole’s future hinges. In addition, the questionable influence of her new friends, neighborhood troublemaker, Jasmine (Chelsea Tavares), Jasmine’s girlfriend, DJ Erika (Sydney ‘Syd’ Bennett of the band ‘The Internet’), and the mysterious Guedado (Luke Rampersad), results in a clash of priorities, ideals and unresolved issues."

This film placed as a semi-finalist in the Sundance Writer’s Lab and received a RED Epic camera package from Panavision’s New Filmmaker Program. We previously posted about Omawale’s short film "Solace" and Kickstarter to raise production funds for the feature. After a successful campaign and filming, this week she and her team launched a new Indiegogo campaign to raise $25,000 to see the film through post production.

Says Hope Olaidé Wilson, who stars as Sole, "For the most part, the roles and opportunities that I’m presented with are limited to one stereotype or another. It can be frustrating, but I try to to see it as a challenge to find some nuance or depth in these characters that are more often than not, complete clichés. On ‘Solace’ none of us had that issue. The film breaks convention by exploring these characters that happen to be black, as people rather than as neatly packaged stereotypes.

"That was the thrilling aspect! Throughout the process there was a general sense of excitement because we were portraying characters and personalities rarely depicted on screen by people of color. For each of the characters, there is so much more going on than one might gather or assume about them from a glance."

Find the fundraising pitch for ‘Solace’ below, along with new stills from the film. To donate, go HERE.

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Tchaiko Omawale

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