Elias Ganster (Gut) and The October People are running a Kickstarter for their next feature film Ayla, which tells the story of a man who is haunted by the death of his 4-yr-old sister and brings her back to life 30 years later as an adult woman. Apparently the consequences are “dire”.

 

It sounds like this is a pretty personal project for Ganster, who says on Kickstarter that it’s inspired by the loss of his own sister when she was two.

“It’s about what happens when you can’t let go, how far into the dark you might reach to bring back someone you lost, and the ramifications that follow,” the description says.

While I can’t help but get some Pet Sematary vibes from that, the film is actually taking inspiration from the Tibetan myth of Tulpa creation. Apparently the main character gets to a place where “what lived on only in the mind can once again become flesh and blood.” The sister returns with the body of a woman and the mind of a child.

These characters are being played by Nicholas Wilder (Gut) and Tristan Risk (American Mary). Also on board are Miles Joris-Peyrafitte (Valley of the Sasquatch), Jennifer Lynn Warren (American Horror Story: Coven), Andrew Sensenig (Upstream Color), and…BILL OBERST JR. (Resolution, Take this Lollipop, Heir)!

Oberst Jr. is always fun to watch, and the part he plays in this one was written specifically for him, so that sounds pretty good.

Principle photography is planned for the fall in the Seattle area.

ayla