What happens when one man’s realization attempts to change an infected reality? Pure chaos.
What began as a “bad” idea in sixth grade for six of our current eighth-grade students turned into a two-peat win at this year’s Middle School Fall Film Festival at Two Rivers.
Experiment 503: A Cure Within Chaos, the final series of a trilogy, tells the story of Infected 1, a man who realizes that he and others are living in a corrupted reality– one where they navigate life as infected victims of a mad scientist. Infected 1’s attempts to onboard others to his plan for achieving a normal life failed miserably until one discovery: a cure.
In their first year as middle school students, eighth-graders Chandler, Felix, Nico, Nicholas, Jasper, and Noah produced Experiment 503:FAILED, and following in their seventh-grade year, a fan favorite, Experiment 502: A Silent Cure. And finally in eighth-grade, Experiment 503: A Cure Within Chaos.
A Cure Within Chaos had an agenda to influence viewers of one thing: “knowing yourself.” “The message we want viewers to take from our film is realizing who you are and who you want to be,” says the main actor, Chandler. Infected 1 realized that he was an ‘infected’ but had the chance to escape his reality and foster a positive change for all victims, and he did just that.
At Two Rivers, there is a huge emphasis on every student knowing themselves. When students sail through their educational journey here, our hope is that, by “knowing” themselves, they recognize their strengths, capabilities, and boundaries.
Many students who started drama class in sixth grade had minimal knowledge of camera management or editing software, but now they’re leading film crews, managing deadlines, and making bold artistic decisions with confidence.
Three years of hard work and dedication led these students to develop a deeper love for screenwriting and film, and they walked away with a wider scope of knowledge. “I’ve had previous acting experience, but what drama class taught me the past three years is how to adapt to changes, manage my time, and most importantly, be a leader, ” says creative art student, Nico.
Ms.Ashanti, the middle school drama teacher, experienced the evolution firsthand, stating, ”It’s been powerful to watch that transformation unfold. Beyond the technical filmmaking skills, I’ve seen growth in their ability to take responsibility for their work. They had to collaborate, compromise, and communicate clearly with their team, which isn’t always easy for middle schoolers, as many of them ran into challenges that caused them to have to make a few hard decisions, and I believe that they are better because of it.”
Looking Ahead
While students rose to the challenge of creating high-quality Sci-Fi films this semester, they are now tasked with curating another spring film. Stay tuned for the Spring Film Festival on Thursday, April 23rd. Additional details are forthcoming.
~Isa Walker, Communications Associate
