The idea for this film started many years ago, while I still lived in Los Angeles, and met Dottie Laster and Michael Cory Davis during a presentation of their film, Cargo: Innocence Lost. Dottie works in the field of Human Trafficking and as we became good friends, I ended up learning a lot about it, interviewing survivors and their families. It became a haunting subject for me. Rape is one of the worst crimes in my book, surpassed only by child rape or murder. Human Trafficking is rape for profit and is as despicable as are the people involved in it.
Amnesia is my way of pointing the finger at Human Rights abuses, which is what I consider Human Trafficking to be. It also touches on documented abuses in mental institutions. A lot of the characters in Amnesia are based on actual accounts of survivors, or victims. So, you see, it's really Michael and Dottie's fault, and I thank them wholeheartedly for it :)
This is my way of raising awareness about an often misunderstood topic.
Yes, we were peculiarly lucky in finding an actress of Russian descent for the leading lady (Ylliana), and an actor of Mozambican descent for the hero's best friend (Maquaqua). I myself am originally from Mozambique, and raised in Portugal, and I've lived in many countries, and value that international flavor a lot. It's made me who I am today.
Because each character is named after something related to their behavior or journey. Each name was picked for a reason, with the intent of guiding the character on their journey. Besides, it adds layers to things. For those who look and know, they offer richness, and for those who don't, I hope it at least offers something fresh and different than just say, John Smith.
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