Ok, so I am clearly not back in the groove of what Friday means. Russ SMUGLY told me at 1230am driving me home that he wrote a FMF. I freaked out. Opened gchat from last week and got an old title from Tigs. Sorry for a technically Saturday film.
Alpha Source
We open in darkness. The familiar face time/skype music play and a woman, Claire, fumbles around her tent. She clicks on a lantern and finds her computer. One the other end is her unnamed significant other. She jokes about what time it is where she is in Africa. He apologizes and tells her he understands he research will keep her there for another month. The charming scene ends with them saying ‘I love you.’
The next morning she meets with the rest of her team at a riverbed. They seem stressed as she talks to some natives about the area. We get the sense that, Todd, the money man behind the expedition is fed up with the lack of progress. They are searching for signs of early man that Claire believes originated in the area.
Across the river she sees a young girl with a strange looking arm. It seems to almost glisten in the light. A woman across the way sees Claire watching and whisks the girl away. She questions some of the people who seem apprehensive to talk to her. They especially look worried around Todd and some of his security.
They continue further into the jungle but that morning they find their pack animals killed. Todd gets angry and riles up the security force. He complains to Claire about the situation and urges her to turn back. He also seems a bit more hostile about the locals.
Claire gets into an argument with the man over skype as we learn he has been in contact with Todd. She feels betrayed and feels he does not really support the work she has dedicated herself to. He shouts about her safety and how he just wants a normal life with a family. He makes it seem a bit selfish though and doesn’t talk to her like she truly matters. She hangs up upset.
Walking off she realizes she mistakenly took a flashlight low on power. As it goes out the threatening sounds of the jungle swirl around her. Suddenly hundreds of small blue lights illuminate around her. They appear as fireflies but upon closer inspection they seem more plant like than bug, almost spores. She makes her way back to camp. Upon falling asleep that night she dreams of a young child. They tell her not to bring him to the tree.
She tracks down the child she saw across the river who she thinks she hat the vision of. The child’s arm glows blue like the spores. The parents of the child talk of a great tree that provides for them. Times of great need they go to the tree and are provided for. Todd overhears this and has a greedy look on his face.
Claire is woken up by a woman who cries that Todd and his men have taken her daughter, the girl with the glowing arm. They demanded to be shown the location of the tree. Claire takes off after them and seemingly helped by the jungle itself as paths are cleared in front of her.
She arrives in a clearing to a great glowing tree. The faint blue light surrounds the area. Todd begins to monologue about how they have found the tree of life. He announces he wants to be rich, to be filled with riches. Claire looks on in horror as molten gold starts spewing from his mouth. He falls down to his knees frozen solid in gold. A short life.
Claire steps closer the tree. She hears a voice in her head explaining that the power of the tree can not be used for evil. That it provides those that are worthy with help, safety, and reward.
She sees a vision of her BF, a potential child, a great house. She sees visions of her presenting the remains of a, if not the, missing link. She shakes them off telling the tree that she is not interested in fame or admiration. The tree sighs happily. From its roots comes a soft cry. The tree explains that it has waited for someone who instead could help it. She digs into the roots finding a baby.
The tree speaks to her saying this child needs her protection. That it is the hope for the future. The tree has waited for someone who needs not but wishes to give and gain love and experience. She leaves cradling the child.