Beginning at the End

Description

Nefaria 2024. Josephine has been travelling for over a year. She has nothing left and she's given up her family name searching for more. The water famine is worsening. No ration tokens, no money - she needs to drink soon. An elderly man sits and waits from a lookout. In a new sector a child shares some water with her, hiding from The Keepers. The man’s daughter encourages him to return home; he’s waited long enough. He won’t move, fuelled by un-promised hope. Josephine takes a job in the underpasses, clearing waste. Haunted by memories, all she left behind, she must escape from the watchful eye of the keepers. After a challenging getaway and journey home, she’s stuck at the property entrance, in a pit of fear and shame. Is there any hope for forgiveness? From his lookout the man spots her and begins to run. Josephine fears the worst but he embraces her. She’s a child again; safe in her father’s arms. Apologetically, she asks for forgiveness, offering herself as a worker but the fullness of his love and joy at her return teach her the lesson she needed to learn - this love never needed to be earnt.

Biblical Connection

We have chosen to use the story of the Prodigal Son from the book of Luke. We have adapted it by placing our story in a dystopian society, in the fictitious land of Nefaria, set in the year 2045. Replacing the character of The Son, with Josephine - a 17 year old girl, who traded her family name for independence and adventure. The core elements of the Prodigal Son remain at the heart of our story: Grace, Forgiveness, Compassion, and being given a second chance. We want to take this into a whole new space, transporting it to a world trapped in drought, where water tokens are the respected currency. We want to explore the father-daughter relationship in a new light, marrying that with the Prodigal Son ending to show how his unconditional love redeems her. We are committed to finding the truth to this story and to explore the physiological and emotional effects that are often overlooked in the prodigal child’s journey, whilst also exploring the impact it has for the father. Taking the context of time in which the parable was set and mirroring that in our new society to show the impact both characters' actions have.