On the week Lexa died, my class was given an assignment to present short film ideas, and the six most voted would be produced by the school. Everyone was super excited, but I wasn’t feeling very creative at the time. I was very disappointed about the whole The 100 situation, especially because the writers and producers weren’t dealing with the backlash very gracefully. Around that time, the fans did a very successful fundraiser for The Trevor Project, a non-profit organization focused on suicide prevention efforts among lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender youth. I realized that I had the power to do something about it too, even something as small as a short film.
The idea came during dinner with my girlfriend. We accidentally blowed out our table candle, but there was a very persistent waitress who would always appear out of nowhere to light it back on. That waitress reminded us of Lexa, who had an obsession with candles (according to the fandom), and soon we imagined a scenario in which Clarke would keep blowing out candles to get her attention.
Clarke and Lexa became Lara and Erica. Drew came right after – I wanted to show an example of female/male friendship with absolutely no hidden romantic interest, and also revert expectations when the audience realized what their “date” was really about. The film was finished by July of 2016, and now it’s finally available for online distribution. Please help spreading Candlelight – this is what the film was made for.
I hope this message brings joy and hope to young LGBTQ+ people out there. There is always the possibility of a happy ending, regardless of what you see in the mainstream media. Your life is worth everything. You are not alone.
