The Blood Dharma by, Jessica Lakis
Query letter for a feature-length film script.
Read synopsis of THE BLOOD DHARMA , Artist's Statement, and Historical Perspective
Read synopsis of THE BLOOD DHARMA , Artist's Statement, and Historical Perspective
Amid the horrors of the 1857 Indian Mutiny, a betrayed rajput warrior seeks vengeance for the death of his beloved -- aided by a motley cast of local characters.
I would like to submit THE BLOOD DHARMA, an action/adventure screenplay, for your consideration. This tale of revenge spins a Kurosawa/John Ford-type yarn of a lone, dark hero who must unite his quest for vengeance with the plight of his people.
Rajput warrior IKSANDER is betrayed by his lord, THE RAJAH, who sells him out to broker a peace with ruthless East India Company agent, JAMES. With Iksander left for dead, his beloved kills herself in grief. Meanwhile, rescued from the brink of death, Iksander sets himself on the path to revenge. But first he must learn to trust and accept the help of an unlikely group of rebels and outcasts. And, as James's occupation of the region grows violent, Iksander must finally take on the cause of his people as his own. And so by leading a revolt to overthrow the British, Iksander may finally attain his ultimate goal: vengeance.
Framed as part first-hand account and part local lore and legend, THE BLOOD DHARMA glows with swashbuckling action, irresistible exoticism, and honest themes of human goodness and depravity, clashing cultures, free will and fate. I have spent the past two years researching and writing this screenplay. In the script I use the exotic setting and time period to re-imagine the classic revenge quest that serves the greater good, which has been set in feudal Japan, the American West, and Imperial Rome, with all the color and conflict that its Colonial Indian setting suggests.
I am the recipient of several awards and grants for my writing and short film-making, going back to a Student Academy Award, and later an alumni grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for my short film "Dear Sir, (Letters to a Union Soldier)." The film garnered numerous awards, including the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award. It also aired on Bravo and IFC. Local public television, WHYY, licensed my historical project, "The Philadelphia Archives." In addition, I have also consulted on and co-wrote several other scripts, one of which was produced and debuted last year at Cannes. THE BLOOD DHARMA made the quarter-finalist round in the Blue Cat International Screenplay Competition, and is in the final tier of consideration for the Mumbai Mantra/Sundance Screenwriter's Competition.
I would like to submit THE BLOOD DHARMA, an action/adventure screenplay, for your consideration. This tale of revenge spins a Kurosawa/John Ford-type yarn of a lone, dark hero who must unite his quest for vengeance with the plight of his people.
Rajput warrior IKSANDER is betrayed by his lord, THE RAJAH, who sells him out to broker a peace with ruthless East India Company agent, JAMES. With Iksander left for dead, his beloved kills herself in grief. Meanwhile, rescued from the brink of death, Iksander sets himself on the path to revenge. But first he must learn to trust and accept the help of an unlikely group of rebels and outcasts. And, as James's occupation of the region grows violent, Iksander must finally take on the cause of his people as his own. And so by leading a revolt to overthrow the British, Iksander may finally attain his ultimate goal: vengeance.
Framed as part first-hand account and part local lore and legend, THE BLOOD DHARMA glows with swashbuckling action, irresistible exoticism, and honest themes of human goodness and depravity, clashing cultures, free will and fate. I have spent the past two years researching and writing this screenplay. In the script I use the exotic setting and time period to re-imagine the classic revenge quest that serves the greater good, which has been set in feudal Japan, the American West, and Imperial Rome, with all the color and conflict that its Colonial Indian setting suggests.
I am the recipient of several awards and grants for my writing and short film-making, going back to a Student Academy Award, and later an alumni grant from the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts for my short film "Dear Sir, (Letters to a Union Soldier)." The film garnered numerous awards, including the Jimmy Stewart Memorial Crystal Heart Award. It also aired on Bravo and IFC. Local public television, WHYY, licensed my historical project, "The Philadelphia Archives." In addition, I have also consulted on and co-wrote several other scripts, one of which was produced and debuted last year at Cannes. THE BLOOD DHARMA made the quarter-finalist round in the Blue Cat International Screenplay Competition, and is in the final tier of consideration for the Mumbai Mantra/Sundance Screenwriter's Competition.
Iksander and The Blood Dharma by, Jessica Lakis (also known as Jessica Mullan) WGA#I227107