APOLONIAD PRODUCTIONS PRESENTS

Poster Design by Apolonia Davalos

This movie is beautifully far more complex than the simple story it presents! It shows the richness and pride in
culture, heritage and family, while telling a tale of love, forgiveness, failure, redemption and healing. Miranda A.
Uyeh, To Be A Person, June 4, 2016

Written, Directed, Edited, and Produced

By
APOLONIA DAVALOS

Starring
STEVE ALBERTS LUCIANO J. VIGNOLA NATHANIEL MCINTYRE
PALOMA PILAR BONNIE KEEN
Contact:
Apolonia Davalos: Apolonia@APOLONIADProductions.com
Website: http://apolonia.weebly.com/children-of-war---short-film.html
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/apoloniadavalos/
Twitter: www.Twitter.com/APOLONIAD_Prod

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 LOGLINE:
Every family has a history untold! Witness the dismemberment and reunification of a small coal mining
family from War, West Virginia.

SYNOPSIS:
SHORT: Family and history go hand-in-hand. In this Modern-Western, witness the duel within the
bloodline of a small coalmining family born and bred by the rigor within the mountains of Miners City -
known today as War, West Virginia. Slavy Freeman, the patriarch, forced to confront family secrets, must
choose between reunification or the complete dismemberment of the Freeman bloodline.

MEDIUM: God. Family. Coal. Freedom. CHILDREN OF WAR is a Modern-Western about the Freemans;
a simple coal-mining family born and bred in the Appalachian Mountains of War, West Virginia. Slavy and
son Les, labor and live for each day in grace. After enduring much adversity and trials of misfortune, they
have finally found peace in prayer and solidarity. On the one year anniversary (and birthday) after the loss
of Slavys eldest adopted daughter Saint, an intruder trespasses on their property. Faced with another
threat by death, the Freemans are forced to revisit their past in order to have a second chance at rebuilding
their future!

LONG: The Freemans are a born and bred coal mining family from War, West Virginia (McDowell County).
After much sacrifice, sin, loss, and redemption, all that remains from this long family line is patriarch,
Slavy Freeman, and son, Les Freeman. Residing in the solidity and solitude of the Appalachian Mountains,
they protect their property by their guns; labor long industrious days by their tools; and pray earnestly and
thankfully with all their heart to live life another day.

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Together, they mourn the absence of Saint, Slavys eldest adopted daughter. An Army Veteran and Prisoner
of War (P.O.W.), she returned home from war overseas to the city of War a different woman; as a soldier
battling her demons (suffering from PTSD). Losing herself, feeling forever forsaken, and becoming a danger
to those closest to her, she apperceived that taking her own life was her only freedom and her familys
savior.

Othniel Justice, Saints husband, was reduced to self-destruction. For him, their love was preternatural
and predestined. For true love is the rarest treasure in War. They were equals; two dragon heads attached
to a single body. But one head cannot survive without the other. Lamentably, Othniel fell into alcoholism
and drug-abuse. Beyond help, he was exiled from the family for the danger, disorder, and destruction that
closely trailed behind his every footstep.

After a year, the Freemans have finally found content within the quiescence of prayer, nature, and the
discipline of embraced family traditions. Or so they thought!

Overnight, the halcyon tune of their daily routines swiftly turn dangerously epochal. Once again, the
Freemans must forcibly fight to live another day!

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DIRECTORS STATEMENT:
WHY? That is the question!

EVERY FAMILY HAS A HISTORY UNTOLD!

When I approached actor Nathaniel McIntyre to portray the role of OTHNIEL JUSTICE, he asked me,
What do you want people to take away from watching the film?

I thought about his question deeply. I responded, When I watch this film, I want to witness the purpose
of family, the significance of faith, and the strength of love, loyalty, and commitment. Through faith and
love, theres always hope for meaning in ones life and forgiveness; even after years of suffering. With
family, its the one undeniable bond of who we are and where we come from. If family is rooted in faith
and love, then the family will always be the compass to guide us back to who we are, when we lose sight
of ourselves when we face real evil in the world. This film is about rebuilding broken families!

When I released a CALL for MUSIC ENTRIES, I noted: Our team is looking for music that represents
the backbone and soul of America: God, family, country, love, labor, and even the pain of life that is
endured then overcome! When I received a submission from the band Honeyboy & Boots, their soulful
sound INSPIRED the completion of War. I informed them, This film is inspired by the hardworking
coalmining families of War, West Virginia. A small town in the mountains where God comes first and
family is everything. Here, long ago, the seed of the soulful heart of America was planted and still
remains. However, plagued by much hardship, the spirit of hope must be resurrected! Music shared by
artists like Honeyboy and Boots is just the kind of hopeful soul music to do just that!

But WHY make this film in the first place?

Have you ever heard of a great human story that inspired you to be a better human being? To look at
yourself and ask, Am I doing everything with each breath of my life to love my neighbor and make a real
life-changing difference as a luminary in all my encounters? Do you ask yourself, Am I a part of the
problem in this world, or the solution? Please permit me one more question. Am I really FREE?

Nancy Bennett, a woman whom I have never met, is such a SAINT!

In a recent interview with Victory Talk Radio host John Baldwin, Nancy Bennett revealed how she joined
her passion of medicine and God into a life lived as a Medical Missionary! An all day, every day
commitment of selflessness to uplift the buried spirits of our fellow human beings suffering from poverty,
homelessness, loss, and drug and alcohol addictions. A reality all too real as an increasing sickness in the
American economy and way of life. As I listened, with 43 years of healthcare experience, she stated she
answered Gods call to bring her lifes training to War, West Virginia (a fallen city left with ruins that
more so resemble a town hit by a World War III).

Foundation, as in all things, is that ROCK upon which all stands. She first restored a church in McDowell
County, then schools, a food bank, and HOPE!

In my pursuit of knowledge, I read an article As coal fades in West Virginia, drugs fill void by Kimberly
Johnson. Her research and investigation revealed how McDowell County, once the top producer of coal in
the nation, now leads state in overdose deaths. She further unveiled, McDowells children are the latest
wave of victims as widespread addiction rips families apart more misery for communities already
suffering economic hardships from job losses in the coal industry. An interview she shared gave
overwhelming insight into the families. When Principal Florisha McGuire wants a clue about whats
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going on in the homes of her studentsshe often finds the answers on their feet. Its a fact that on
average, about 43 percent of [her] students had lost a biological mother or father, either from overdose or
removal from their homes, McGuire said.

According to Profit Confidential, America is ranked as the 8th richest country in the world. I ask myself,
How can a city, that looks and feels like a third-world country exist IN America?

There is an overwhelming mentality that there is no way out; and people do not reason a worth in
education without any jobs. In a forgotten city, Nancy never forgets and her battle every day is to find out
how to reach them.

ONE PERSON CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!!!

As a writer, I pursued my own interviews and investigation! Lisa Bennett, producer of the Victory
Television Network and daughter of Nancy Bennett (another woman whom I have never actually met in
person) introduced me to a local miner who also volunteers in helping his fellow neighbors in joining in
Nancys efforts. I learned a lot from him. His testimony touched my heart, opened my eyes, and further
inspired my call to write!

Children of War is my first Western. Im calling my film a Modern-Western because my picture

illuminates the West of the present. You will not see perfection, you will see a story; as sharp, sudden,
steady, gritty, and dark as our emotions. I did not make this project for one person, I produced this
moving picture for the American spirit, which is hurting and imperfect.

The stars aligned and I was gifted 16 hours (in a single day) to shoot War with some of the most
passionate artists Im honored to collaborate with. My cast and crew talent were already booked for other
gigs and I was profoundly blessed to have even ONE DAY, ONE STORY, and ONE OPPORTUNITY to
accomplish ONE FILM!

As an artist, Im in awe of how art will literally take a life of its own!

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TALENT
STEVE ALBERTS began acting after his retirement and now
has 29 film and television credits, the most notable to date
being the strong supporting role of Sheriff MacFadden in the
film Hollow Creek which features Burt Reynolds. Working with
the great nephew of Al Capone, Steve has the lead role of
Frank Aldo in the soon to be released 1930s Chicago based
film noir Old Chicago Souls. Of his many commercials Steve is
most proud of his direct to camera pitch for The West Virginia
Housing Development fund in his native West Virginia. Music
videos include the performances with Taylor Swift, Taylor
Made, Little Big Town, Toby Keith, Jerrod Neimann, and
Christian artist Matthew West.
LUCIANO J. VIGNOLA, named after his Italian mother
Lucia, was born and raised in Long Island NY. His film
Credits Include: Cope, The Key, The Cleaner, Crossing The Line
and Dead of Night. Luciano received great praise for the
originated role of James Cashill in the play Twilight of the
Gods, produced by the Blackbird Theatre Company. He also
received great acclaim for his work on the musical Hairspray,
where he starred as smarmy show host Corny Collins. Luciano
has performed in plays such as Death of a Salesman, Taming of
the Shrew, Barefoot in the Park and Much Ado About Nothing. He
is also recognized as a Drummer and Entrepreneur. He is
known for his good humored and exuberant personality; and
his ability to connect/encourage others.

PALOMA PILAR is a NYC stage and film actress. Film

credits include: A Somber Melody (Clever Girl Productions),
Children of War (APOLONIAD Productions), There is Always
Hope (Official Selection of the Playhouse West Philly Film
Festival), Meisner (120 Productions), and An American Dream
(Skoz Films). Favorite stage credits include: Waiting for Lefty
(Directed by Jim Parrack {HBO's True Blood}) and Normalcy
Has Been Restored (Safe Mode Productions). She is also an
acclaimed singer as an independent R&B Artist with singles I
Found You, You Could Be, and Love Reprise. Paloma is also
known for her passion for modern ballet and hip hop dance and
has been a featured dancer for many concerts and other live
performances. For fun, she is a proud NYC Tri-Athlete 2013
Finisher!

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 Filmmakers F. A. Q.
Hear directly from the CREW about the making of Children of War!

CREATING THE CHARACTER OF SAINT PART 1:

With MAKE-UP ARTIST ARIA DURSO

As the Make-Up Artist, what was the process for transforming the character of
SAINT?

It was quite a process, and a collaborative one as well. Getting to collaborate with others artists
and designers is part of what makes this job so fun- putting our heads together and coming up
with the ideas that satisfy the directors creative needs, designing the actual pieces, and then
finding ways to preserve those designs, and then the choosing the right mediums and modes
of applicationits a lot to be aware of going in, but the process is very rewarding when
youre looking at the finished product. We had an amazing tattoo artist (Katy Parsons, I
believe) create the actual designs- which was so helpful to me because Ive never had to do
anything like that before and I wasnt sure where to even start. She had extensive

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 conversations with our lovely Director, Apolonia, and together they created these amazing,
character specific, highly detailed tattoo designs for SAINT. Katy was so important to the
process of helping me understand what needed to be seen, helping with the placement and
sizing, and helping prioritize which ones needed extra care to be applied. I then tested various
methods and mediums to make sure everything transferred over into makeup application-
taking great care to preserve the original design while making them look as real as possible.
With a character as important as SAINT, its all about the details. Every piece needed to make
a statement and become a piece of her armor. It was imperative each piece made its own
design statement, while coming together as one unified design overall. I started simple and
applied the transfer tattoos first- I chose to use temporary transfer paper for the most detailed
tattoos so that I could do them quickly and preserve all the details like shading, shape, and
text. I then moved on to the big one- the wings- airbrushing layers of stencils to create the
feathered and textured look. Lastly, I free handed the text portions- taking great care to get
each letter level and shaped evenly, while preserving the original design of the text. It was a
long and complicated process involving multiple applications and tools, but I think it all came
together to create a unified and strong conceptual piece as a whole.

What was learned from doing the project? (I.E. How was doing make-up for
CHILDREN OF WAR different from other films/theater productions youve been a part
of?)

It was different for me in that this was the longest Ive ever spent so much time doing just
ONE makeup- in the time it took to complete SAINT from head to toe, many simpler or
standard straight makeups for camera could have been completed. Using your time wisely-
being able to correctly gage how long something will take and also being aware of the
shooting schedule and how your crew mates are working around you- all of this is
information you have to constantly be aware of as you work throughout the day on your
makeup designs. Working on this project was different for me in that nothing could be
completed beforehand- everything had to progress in stages depending on where were in the
film process and shooting schedule. The tattoos were very temperature sensitive- so we
couldnt work too far ahead or they would have to be constantly reapplied to beat the
elements. It really forced me to be aware of my surroundings and the flow of the schedule- to
be totally plugged into the process and be are of what was going on around me at all times.
Usually when youre on a set- you show up and knock your makeup out quickly, and stay
alert for close-ups, etc. Youre able to be alert but relatively hands off till you are needed. For
this shoot, I had to be constantly on my toes about each and every aspect of what was
happening on set in order to accomplish my tasks in a timely manner.

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CREATING THE CHARACTER OF SAINT PART 2:
With Artist/ Illustrator Katy Parsons

As Illustrator, what were the pitfalls and aha experiences in designing the Armor of
God?

Working with the context of the script, I took time to see what imagery from the heyday of
a coal-driven West Virginia society I could incorporate. Once I had the overall aesthetic for
the full body of work, I hand drew each piece and converted them digitally. The real work
was placement on Paloma's body from 2,000 miles away. My best time-saving "aha"
moment was having my husband take pictures of me holding printed cutouts of each piece
on my own body for Aria to reference. Also, I loved the idea and practice of playing with
placement on photos of Paloma - definitely the way to go if you are considering tattoos
yourself!!

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What was learned from doing this project?

I learned another new and productive way to work with other artists; a way that made
distance no longer a factor in visual communication. I have always worked on-site or
directly with clients, so this was a fun new challenge, and we nailed it.

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Eric Byford, as Assistant Director, how was filming CHILDREN OF
WAR different from other films?

As AD, this film posed several challenges. The biggest was time. Thankfully we had a very
professional cast that handled whatever we threw at them. Another challenge as AD was
the need to take over the technical aspects to allow the Director to handle the talent. It
wasn't a big challenge but I wanted the Director, being an actress herself, to concentrate
on the emotion of the scenes rather than worrying about the crew setup/tear down. I think
having the crew we did really helped me as an AD due to their professionalism and
willingness to go long hours as we added scenes and battled the elements.

What was your favorite part about shooting CHILDREN OF WAR?

My favorite part of this film, was the fellowship of both the talent and crew. They made
my job easier by going with the flow and being prepared for whatever we threw at them. I
try to learn from every set I am privileged to be on, and once again, I did. The pre-
production on this film was top notch and helped over us tremendously as the day wore
down. I also learned another angle from directing as I consider myself an actor's Director,
but to witness another actress leading her cast through the scenes gave me more insight
as to handle different personalities and get the most out of everyone.

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Director of Photography Jason R. Coleman, what type of camera did
you shoot CHILDREN OF WAR with?

Canon 7D with a 50mm 1.4, 18-135mm kit lens and a 18-55mm.

What were the pitfalls and/or aha experiences?

We were racing against sundown for the DRUM-CIRCLE scene. As the night got darker
and darker, the tech in the Canon 7D just simply could not handle the low light situation
and still provide a nice looking image. Then David G. Baker, the BTS photographer,
stepped up and saved the day with his camera (Canon 70D) that we utilized for the
evening shoot. The difference in the low light performance between the two cameras was
jaw dropping.

As DP, how was filming CHILDREN OF WAR different from other films?

Usually I'm trying to create dramatic camera moves and looking for ways to create more
creative shots with movement and angles and creative focusing. In this shoot, the director
wanted simplicity and still shots as much as possible. That makes things much easier. At
one point I was putting together a slider for a camera move and at some point the director
just said, no we don't need that...just a still shot here.
__________________________________________________________________________________________

The SOUNDTRACK!
Music by

And

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PHOTO GALLERY from the film!

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In the NEWS:
Children of War With Writer/Director Apolonia Davalos

https://faithflixfilms.wordpress.com/2016/04/11/children-of-war-with-writerdirector-
apolonia-davalos/
Movie Review

https://mautobeaperson.com/2016/06/04/movie-review-children-of-war/

Actors Scoop Interview with Steve Alberts

https://mautobeaperson.com/2016/10/07/actor-scoop-interview-with-steve-alberts/

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 Actors Scoop Interview with Luciano J. Vignola

https://mautobeaperson.com/2016/11/04/actor-scoop-interview-with-luciano-j-vignola/

Actors Scoop Interview with Paloma Pilar

https://mautobeaperson.com/2016/10/21/actor-scoop-interview-with-paloma-pilar/

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