Lilith

#short film
#fiction
#feminisme
#puplnoir

“Welcome to LILITH. We’re delighted you’ve accepted our invitation. Please be patient while we prepare you for an exclusive show tailored to your deepest desires.”

LILITH is a short Horror and Pulp Noir film, written and directed by Ashanti Vreden, and produced by Chev Productions. We are proud to say that the Nederlands Film Fonds is one of our project’s supporters.

With a team of female creatives behind and in front of the camera, we demonstrate that impactful genre films are possible. Films that not only entertain but also take a stand against structural exclusion in the film industry. LILITH is a powerful reflection of its themes: female resilience, self-discovery, and rewriting the rules.

A film about a woman searching for self-determination in a world trying to tame her. With the log-line: When the MAN receives an invitation to the exclusive Club LILITH, he discovers that some secrets are better left hidden.

LILITH is inspired by the demonic figure of the same name from Mesopotamian mythology, known as the predecessor of Eve, Adam’s first wife. After Lilith refused to lie beneath Adam during sex, she argued with him, and left Eden. This began the folklore of Lilith; she became known as a symbol of disobedient women.

Today, in feminist circles, Lilith is a symbol of the liberated woman. In our short film, which is the first step towards a feature film, Lilith awakens to help women get revenge against the perpetrators of patriarchal violence.

LILITH takes classic genres of Horror and Pulp Noir and subverts them. The latter is close to classic Film Noir but set in a more urban, raw environment. Pulp Noir often portrays a one-man army, a man, moving through a grim arena. In LILITH, the classic femme fatale archetype from these genres is deconstructed and reclaimed. The plot revolves around the question: what happens when a woman takes control of her own body, sexuality, and power?

Lilith, our femme fatale, is the mysterious host of the club and protagonist of our story, played by Amber Vineyard.

Lilith lives in a world where she is constantly seen, desired, and controlled. But never truly heard. Until she decides to rewrite the rules of the game. Her journey is one of transformation: from a pawn in someone else’s game to the creator of her own destiny.

LILITH is a silent film, where dance and visual symbolism speak without the intervention of dialogue. This emphasises the powerful cinematography, unique set designs, and innovative visual effects that tell our story. Because the film is set in a future Amsterdam, we also draw inspiration from cyberpunk aesthetics, giving the film a futuristic look, with neon lighting and dark, technologically overloaded cityscapes.

In this film, the dances are not just a visual spectacle, but a way of reclaiming power, a form of storytelling deeply connected to the identity of our LILITH. The dances are inspired by the world of Ballroom and Vogue – a community that emerged as self-expression and resistance within LGBTQ+ and Black and Latinx communities. In LILITH, the club becomes not only a place of seduction and danger but also of liberation and transformation. It is a space where the rules of the world outside its doors are rewritten.

Starring
Amber Vineyard
Guido Spek

Scenario & Direction: Ashanti Vreden
Producers | Eva Wulp & Charlotte Cattel || Chev Productions
Director of Photography | Sjors Mosman
Montage | Festus Toll
Production Design | Shaniqua Etienne
Composer | Tip van den Bos
Sound Design | Burak Oztas
Costume Design | Iris Amber stenger
Hair & Make up design | Floor Fennis

Catering: Esther Akkerhuis Spek & Bonen
Catering Assistant | Annemarie Feltmann
Catering Assistant | Bracha de Jong

Animal Handler | Animaux animal casting
Picture vehicle | Gijs Spierings

Special thanks to

Maloney Amsterdam
The Rentals Group BV
Mask shop venice

This film was supported by; The Netherlands Film Fund, Amsterdams Fonds voor de kunsten