What is the project about?

My name is Ruthie Brooks and I am a MA Film Production student at the University of York.

I am making a documentary about the relationships between sisters and would really appreciate your support to complete the film! This film can only be made to a high quality with your help, and any support you can give will help substantially!

Throughout history a small handful of artists have captured the subject of sisterhood in paintings and photographs: Branwell Brontë's portrait of the Brontë sisters is iconic and celebrates the shared lives of the three sisters; the portraits taken by Nicholas Nixon of the four Brown sisters (taken every year for over forty years) illustrate how the bonds between sisters grow and change over time, while highlight the mortality of the relationship; Emily Harris-Taylor's portraits have captured the diversity between sets of sisters and shows each set of sisters is unique and fascinating.

However, the relationship between sisters has not been widely explored, particularly in the media. Dr Stacey Smith argues that in film women are not only erased but replaced with male characters, and in 2015 only 31.4% of speaking characters in films were women. I believe that the complexity and depth of the relationships between women is under-appreciated in the film and television industries, and that the industry (and wider society) would benefit from further embracing, exploring and depicting the relationship between women and sisters. I intend for my documentary to do this: to embrace, explore and depict the relationship between sisters honestly and boldly.

We rarely get to observe sisters together or get a real insight into the place and impact of one sister in the other's life. This documentary will provide insight into the relationship, exploring it in greater depth than has been offered previously in the arts.

I really hope you feel that this project is worthwhile and that you are as excited as I am to see the final product!

HOW CAN I SUPPORT THE PROJECT?

With your support, I will be able to interview sisters of different ages and from different backgrounds, creating a more inclusive and informative piece of film.

You can support this project by:

• Making a donation to the project, helping to raise the funds necessary to complete the project and make it as inclusive and as informative as possible.
• Sharing this page through your social media accounts.
• Sharing this page with those you think would be interested in supporting the project.

Thank you in advance for any support you are able to give the project!

How woulD my donation help?

Films are expensive to make: from equipment to transport, there's a lot to cover! Luckily the University of York is able to provide insurance and the majority of filming equipment necessary to create the film. The talented crew behind the film are also giving their time for free, which is amazing. However, there are additional costs which must be covered. If we hit our minimum target of £1000, the funds will be used as follows:

• £275 van hire and fuel (for transport to Liverpool, Newcastle, Leeds, and Birmingham)
• £410 additional camera equipment (including, a teleprompter and monitor to achieve greater visual aesthetic for the film)
• £215 additional equipment and services (including, external hard drives, black out material, printing costs)
• £100 contingency

Any funds exceeding the £1000 target will be used to support transport costs, enabling further interviews to take place.

I hugely appreciate ANY support you are able to give to help generate these funds - thank you!

Will I get anything for my donation?

There are some great rewards for those who wish to make a donation to the project. Please take a look to find one that you like the sound of!

Please Help Me to make this project a success!

THANK YOU SO MUCH.