A father embarks his family into a perilous adventure to pursue their dream for a better life in Australia. He is close to winning his challenge when an accident happens the day he lands his dream job.

SYNOPSIS:

Title: BLACK CANDY - The Promised Land

Author: Angelo Raza

Based on the Novel “Black Candy” - Reinvent Yourself, by Angelo Raza, 2019

Contact Information: Angelo.raza@blackcandyoz.com

Copyright © 2019 Angelo Razafimamonjy. All Rights Reserved.

Genre: Full Length Film, Family Drama

Setting: To cut on cost the Madagascar context will be provided as narrations at the beginning and at the end of the movie.The real footage shooting will begin with the landing at the Darwin Airport of Northern Australia. Other venues are composed of: appartement, supermarket/market, car dealership, University, bus stops, child care, school, church, casino, house racing, music festival, waterfront, botanical garden, swimming pool, Red Cross, interview at an Office;.

Target Audience: Families or families with children 13 and over, teens and young adults, adults

Predicted Rating: PG, PG-13

Premises

Sick of being treated like a foreigner in his home country Madagascar, Fanoo (Black, middle class mining professional) decidesto move to Darwin with his wife Ella (housewife with no English skill) and their four chlildren. Unfortunately his plan goes wrong. Uncertainties and despair combines with hope and miracles. This multicultural, family drama is a celebration of faith and friendship, and an experience of the unique and vibrant lifestyle of Northern Australia (The safest place in the world).

Commercially

This story will appeal to all ages. It will be on the low end to produce depending on the casting, but will appeal to families, adults and young adults because of the rating. It will feature songs that are current and recognizable to the public such as, “Storm is Over” by R Kelly, “You’ ll Be Still Loved” by Volavie” and a traditional Aboriginal song “The Promised Land”. All songs tie into the theme of the film and bring in a young audience. Revenue can also be expected from the release of a soundtrack to the film and Advertizing deals.

Black Candy is about the challenges of normal voluntary migrants (not refugee) to whom many people around the world can relate to. In addition the profile of the main characters (Fanoo) represents the type of migrants Northern Australia is targeting, therefore there is high chance to secure funding from Screen Australia if Australian talents are included in the crew. This is also an opportunity to see Darwin in its modernity.

The story ends with a Christmas concert which make it fit for a Christmas movie.

The film will become a very attractive advertizing tools for the venues related to the story (Aiports, airlines, casino, university, school,…) because of the exposure it brings.

Attaching Hollywood celebrities like Will Smith or Idris Elba will help conquer the international market although it significantly will influence the budget.

Distribution: Theatrical box office, TVs, Cable TV, Netflix, HBO, inflight entertainment,...

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Plot:

BLACK CANDY : The Promised Land

One evening, after spending the whole afternoon at the bank inquiring for a VISA card Fanoo had a business dinner with an Australian guest Bob at a luxury restaurant in Madagascar. He was praising the beauty of the country to Bob when a French woman jumped into the discussion and despised Fanoo of being an ignorant local. At that very moment Fanoo promised himself to migrate to Australia so that he could live away from this persistent colonial injustice.

A few weeks later, Fanoo (broke with only $1 in his pocket) offers a little globe (world map) as a birthday present to his wife Ella as a promise of migration oversea. The visa process takes three years to complete because Fanoo has to sit twice English test. Fanoo trains his wife and children to speak English by singing songs and by reading children’s books and watching the beauty of Australia on discovery channel. Ella’s visa penalty due to lack of English reduces their migration budget to only three weeks-worth of a survival. Fanoo networks with charities in Darwin with the help of Bob’s wife Mary from NSW. Before leaving Madagascar, Fanoo organises a farewell movie party where « Pursuit of Happiness » on the menu to prepare his family and friends to the worst.

Fanoo and his family finally land in Darwin, Australia at night, in Septemeber 2015. When Waving a taxi, Fanoo notices that he lost his phone where all the address of the hotel and visa information are held; he attempts to go back to the plane but denied access. His daughter Sandy finds the phone fallen between suitcases so the family manages to reach the hotel that night and enjoys five days of Australian lifestyle. A church becomes their only extended family in Darwin and saves them from the verge of homelessness (twice in 10 days).

Anglicare provides supports to dependents of migrants and has the social worker Vania helping Ella explore the myriad of schemes available in Darwin to make ends meet. Every morning, with a heavy backpack, Ella has to catch the bus with two kids, Lolo in the trolley, and Sissi on her right side. There is a time where the pram tips over when the three run after the bus. Exhausted in the afternoon Ella still has to do groceries at charity shops, then do the household chores.

Fanoo instead concentrates on job hunting. It takes him one month to secure a casual car wash job on the day he is supposed to resume work in Madagascar. Fanoo also has to teach French at the Darwin language centre after work to make ends meet. When the opportunity presents, Fanoo works also at the Casino and at the Darwin Turf club to save more money for contingency because Grace breaks her arm and goes to the hospital but the insurance did not cover. Fanoo then decides to find an additional income every Saturday in a very poorly paid caravan washing job.

The discovery of Auntie Lili, the only Malagasy lady in Darwin (for 30years) has boosted Ella’s career in cleaning business and restored her hope for a better life. Lili gave them her spare car and made Ella learn to drive. Unfortunately, Ella’s confidence grew so much that she became arrogant and the marriages start to fall apart. Every week, there is a dispute about Fanoo being a looser, a lazy man.

Fanoo’s regret of coming to Australia intensifies and he no longer shares his problem with his wife. He carries alone the burden of the bad news of his house in Madagascar being put to Auction due to unpaid mortgage. Likewise, his misadventure of being locked inside the gate of the place where he is supposed to sit for an interview; and the ongoing bully he endures at work. In this bitterness, he promises himself to write his story in the future because that is his only last asset. Amazingly that very day he receives a call from the Job Expo exhibitionist announcing that he won an Ipad from the draw he subscribed to. That restores his confidence to move forward in life and confirmes his determination to write his story. Fanoo retrieves his courage and lodges 700 job applications from which he gets 13 calls and seven unsuccessful face-to-face interviews.

One day Fanoo has an accident at the car wash workshop and can no longer undertake physical work. But at that very moment a congratulations email lands on his phone. It was about his dream job as a Mining Officer with the NT Government. Ella, crying, does not believe because she heard so many failures for the last 14 months. Ella drives his husband at work the first day and says « Thanks for giving me the world.»

The story ends with the family celebrating Christmas with Fanoo singing among the Darwin Choral. Proud to be Territorian living in the land of freedom and fair go.

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STARRING:

This could be the next “Pursuit of happiness” in a family version, written from a true story. This film could be produced in very low budget with Australian local actors but the scope to conquer the international market will be uncertain. Ideally I would imagine the film starring Will Smith or Idris Elba (Fanoo) and Jessica Mauboy or Miranda Tapsell (Ella) as the main characters. However even just one A-listed actor is enough to make the film successful worldwide.

MARKET READINESS:

Copyright Angelo Razafimamonjy, 2019

The interview about the story has received 100,000 reads in just one day on ABC News on 03 Sept 2019

The audio/book had received 4.9/5 reviews on Amazon and hit #1 new release in 3 Categories

Three soundtracks could be composed to promote the story before the release (English, Malagasy, Aboriginal)

BLACK CANDY: THE PROMISED LAND