Our Happy Place

Hello! I’m Dequane Gordon (I also go by Tiki if that’s easier) and I just wanted to talk very briefly about my film Our Happy Place. This surrealist, medieval thriller about the perils of escapism was inspired by the difficulties I faced during a week-long fast I did some time ago. Writing this film helped me manage my boredom, manifest my strange dreams, and find solace in my discomfort. This film helped me find my happy place and I hope it can one day inspire others to find theirs as well! It's an action/adventure film that mixes in some psychological horror, all in a medieval setting. Loose Synopsis: Two brothers, Paulus and Richard are traveling drug dealers (amateur alchemist is what they’re called in this world. They go around the countryside selling their ‘substances’ (high magic is what it’s called in this world) to all the nobles, kings, and queens around. The high magic often has magical qualities that grant those who use it great power. It’s highly addictive and has ruined the ambitions of many. There also exists a variant of high magic called ‘low magic’, which is given to peasants to keep them subservient. The story begins when they’re at the castle of one of their favorite customers King Geedorah and his wife, Queen Thatcher. They’re indulging in this high magic, too high (or too careless) to notice their cities being invaded by an unrecognizable force. They are forced to escape and The King abandons the two boys in the woods while he retreats to his emperor, Emperor Raegan. He tells the boys about a ranger camp (the rangers are a rebel-outlaw group who go around the countryside terrorizing people, and sometimes even nobles, for a price). Back at the castle, we find out that there’s this Commander who attacked the castle in order to find these boys, he’s able to track them into the woods as they accidentally left some high magic on a stump they were sitting on before they went into the woods. The boys eventually come upon the leader of the ranger group, Griselda as she helps them escape The Commander’s patrol. They go back to the camp, where they meet Griselda’s right-hand man Guzman. They have a nice conversation and take some high magic together. The King arrives at The Emperor’s palace, but does not receive a warm welcome. In fact, The Emperor berates The King. The Emperor dismisses the King while catching up with his sister, Queen Thatcher. The Emperor hosts a feast with all the kings in the realm to talk about the invasion and devise a course of action. An old mage suggests enlisting the help of The Alchemist, chief architect of high magic. The Emperor is not excited at this prospect as they had a falling out some time ago; so he sends The King to go speak with him, as The King is no use to him in his current state. Back at the ranger camp, Griselda reveals to the boys that she had a vision due to the high magic that revealed the alchemist’s castle, and they could learn more if they go there. The boys convince her and Guzman to join them. The Commander eventually finds a strange village with strange circumstances, and after talking to a man simply named “Father”, learns of The Alchemist’s castle, and sets out to look for the boys there. So then the three groups: The brothers and the rangers, The King and his men, and The Commander and his forces all make their way to the alchemist’s castle, facing various obstacles and breakthroughs along the way. A lot of things happen They meet The Alchemist at his castle and they have a conversation about what’s been happening and the state of the world. Talks eventually break down, in large part to “ideological differences” and they fight. They go through a lot They “defeat” The Alchemist They save the country and reform the lands They live Happily Ever After The End …Or is it?