The Brink

2018

An unexpected group of women, previously strangers, are traveling across the post-apocalyptic prairie wasteland seeking the promise of hope.

THE BRINK is a short narrative that features five women all facing the apocalypse and defining what their individual idea of what hope might be at the end of all things.

Each of the characters in this film have different backgrounds, motivations, and flaws that are explored through the dialogue. I wrote this short because of my personal obsession with apocalyptic fiction and I had let my mind wander down the rabbit hole of, “what would I do if the world ended today?” I thought, “where would I go? What would be the first thing I’d do? Who would I be with?” I had the passing though of, “well, I’d stick with women for sure” and my mind stumbled over this idea and couldn’t let it go.

Samantha Jeffery as Krista | Hillary Warden as Joanne in The Brink (2018)

Nicole St. Martin as Tracy in The Brink (2018)

I’ve grown tired of male driven apocalyptic fiction that features women as breeders, prizes, and/or property. That is why The Brink features five women traveling together in search of their individual “one last hope” at the end of the world. I didn’t want to create a female gang in response to the violent apocalyptic gangs featured in the block busters. I also didn’t want to create a group of man haters bolstering themselves against the remnants of patriarchy. I simply wanted to give these five different women the space to explore hope and hopelessness in a bleak and unforgiving world through their unique experiences.

Samantha Quantz as Seri in The Brink (2018)

While the “end of the world” is not explicitly explained in the film I believe themes of political and climate chaos may resonate with audiences. I believe that this film offers a different experience of the apocalypse that isn’t often portrayed because it is not an action film. I also believe that audiences are hungry for female driven stories that look and feel genuine and real. None of these characters are female fantasies: there’s no Sarah Connor or Furiosa here (although I love these women). The Brink features a workaholic, a gamer, a rancher, a wife, and a mother. My one hope for this film is that it leaves audiences in an introspective state. The Brink doesn’t offer a lot of answers, nor is it optimistic, but I’d like audiences to think about what hope means to them.