A short summary of OUR project
We're raising £2,870 to create a poetic short film about silent solidarity, female resistance, and unspoken strength within the walls of a dance academy.
Who are WE?
My name is Jingjing Li, the writer and director of Steps of Memory. I'm a filmmaker from China, currently studying at Kingston University in the UK. This film is one of my graduation projects.
Our core team is made up of passionate creatives from different cultural backgrounds, united by a shared commitment to poetic visual storytelling and the exploration of themes like silence, power, and female connection:
Chi Zhang – Producer
Dylan – Cinematographer
Yaxin He – Editor
Shengpin Wang – Sound Design
Ying Ma – Choreographer
From movement to music, each of us contributes to shaping a cinematic language that speaks beyond words, with stillness, rhythm, and emotion at its core.
My story
Two women. Two lifelines entwined by dance. One silenced by the system. One unravelling under it. Steps of Memory is the story of what happens when they finally see each other.
What are you doing and why?
Steps of Memory is set in a rigid dance academy—a space where discipline, beauty, and hierarchy intersect. Beneath the elegant surfaces and daily routines lies a deeper truth: not all control looks violent, and not all resistance needs to be loud.
This story is inspired by real dynamics that many women experience across professions and institutions:
- Environments where silence is expected, not questioned
- Systems that reward obedience and punish discomfort
- People who give everything, yet are never seen
Through the quiet bond between two women—one who has given up, one who still refuses to—the film explores what support looks like when language fails. It asks:
Can empathy exist in silence? Can resistance take the form of presence, not protest?
Their connection is not one of salvation, but of recognition. When Aaliyah watches Cara dance, she sees the version of herself she left behind. And in witnessing each other’s pain, they begin to move—together.
By supporting this project, you’re helping bring visibility to the kinds of emotional stories that rarely make it to the screen—stories told not through spectacle, but through presence, empathy, and artistic care.
Where will the money go?
Budget List：
1. Theater Stage Rental (1 day) £600
2. Actor Fees £900
3. Meals / On-Set Catering £300
4. Costume Design £150
5. Print Costs £20
6. Essential On-Set Supplies £50
7. Art Department £200
8. Equipment Rental £400
9. Contingency Fund £100
10. Film Festival Submissions £150
With this budget, we aim to create a visually powerful and emotionally honest short film.
Your support helps us not only make this film possible, but make it right—with care, safety, and artistic integrity.
If we exceed our funding goal, we will use the extra funds to:
- Submit the film to more film festivals around the world
- Create limited-edition physical rewards to thank our supporters
Rewards
- All donors' names will appear in the end credits under the 'Special Thanks' section.
- Donors who contribute over £300 will be credited as Associate Producers in the end credits.
- Donors who contribute over £500 will be credited as Executive Producers in the end credits.
Find us here
We’re sharing our filmmaking journey — from the first shot to the final cut — on Instagram. Come along for behind-the-scenes moments, stories, and more.👉Follow us on Instagram @steps_of _memory2025— we’d be so grateful!
Help us succeed!
This is a film that listens to the voices left unspoken, to the quiet truths beneath the surface. If you believe that the most powerful moments are not always loud—that they live in silence, in the way we watch, wait, or move—then this story is for you.
But to make it real, we need your help. Your support will help us give voice to what is often left unsaid, to create a space where silence speaks, and where quiet strength can be seen and felt.
Please consider backing this project, and if you can, share it with those around you. Invite others to wait with us, to hope with us, and to witness something meaningful.
Every contribution counts. Every voice matters. We would be deeply grateful for your support. Thank you for being part of this journey.
Let’s carry it forward—gently, firmly, and with purpose.
