THE FILM
After a serial killer murders her immigrant mother,
a Bosnian-American Muslim cop seeks vengeance.
After witnessing the murder of her mother by an eccentric serial killer, SABINA grows up thinking revenge will bring her solace. As our tale begins, she’s a member of the Chicago PD, secretly chasing dead-end leads since that traumatic night, nearly 20 years ago.
Finally, she tracks down the evidence she’s been after: the killer’s red patent-leather shoes she saw that night, while hidden under the couch. Filled with all-consuming rage, she kicks down his door, and confronts the monster from her past!
But will killing him be enough? Or will applying her mother’s wisdom help her end this brutal cycle of violence?
THE CAST
SABINA - Michelle Lulic (voice)
30s, Muslim, inner-city policewoman. Our “badass-yet-vulnerable” heroine. She’s a Bosnian-American version of Sgt. Olivia Benson (Law and Order: SVU). Deeply invested in the job, and her revenge quest. She won’t rest (or socialize!)... ‘til vengeance is served.
PAUL - Randy Morrison (voice)
Late 50s, former architect. First-Generation German-American. He's a serial killer who hunts immigrant women and commemorates his kills with memorial “art”.
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MAJKA - Dina Selimović (voice)
Eternally Mid 30s -- a memory of a beautiful, wise Bosnian woman. She's one of Paul’s victims killed in Chicago, in the ‘90s. She is Sabina's mother.
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DANYELE - LarIna Williams (voice)
Mid 20s, Black, and also Chicago PD. She is playful, grounded, and openly bisexual. Danyele is Sabina’s closest friend on the force and a constant voice of reason.
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THE MISSION
Our desire to honor a lens on the complex experience of being a war refugee in America is coupled with a desire for greater social change.
For a woman seeking refuge in the United States from a war-torn country, life can be gut-wrenchingly hard. From linguistic and social isolation to economic insecurity (not to mention PTSD from war trauma), the challenges are great.
Beyond the intrinsic struggles of starting anew, there is an epidemic of crime against immigrant women and children in the United States. Studies across ethnic communities in the US show that refugee and immigrant women experience domestic and sexual violence at rates between 30% to 50%. (Violence Against Immigrant Women by Anita Raj and Jay Silverstone, 2002)
And as Lydia V. Johnson notes in her research at UNC-Chapel Hill, teen girls are excluded from these numbers:
“Current survey methods do not include child and adolescent victims in their definition of violence against women, despite data from the National Crime Victimization Survey indicating that violence starts at an early age; absent this data, national statistics cannot offer an accurate depiction of the problem or its prevalence.” (Tjaden, 2005)
OUR GOAL
The objective of SABINA: Prey for the Hunter is to shed light on, and spark conversations regarding, the violent targeting of immigrant women and teens, and their struggle for resilience in the wake of trauma.
We wish to raise awareness of this issue.
THE CREW
CREATIVE TEAM
DIRECTORS
Nicole Ruth Starrett
Marcus T. Thomas
PRODUCERS
Nicole Ruth Starrett
Marcus T. Thomas
Joy Sun
WRITER
Nicole Ruth Starrett
ANIMATION
Octavio Llano
COMPOSER
Jon Altham
STORYBOARD ARTIST
Joy Sun
SUPERVISING SOUND EDITOR
David B. Cohen
CHARACTER DESIGN
Octavio Llano
ANIMATION BACKGROUND ARTIST
MUSIC SUPERVISOR
Garrick Ho
Jon Altham
VOCALIST
Nina Kraljić