THE GHOST READER
“A story about turning pages to find new stories”
(Original Screenplay/Graphic Novel)
This is the adventure of a girl who died in an airplane crash while reading a book. Alone "on the other side," she searches for distractions and decides to look for someone who is reading the book she was reading when her life was interrupted.
This tale was imagined as an animated film—the screenplay was awarded by Young Directors Awards and Script Pipeline and will be released as a graphic novel in 2024.
The story has five chapters. The art direction, tone of voice and illustration style differs from chapter to chapter. Layouts, story, art direction and creative direction are from yours truly.
P A R T 1
It starts with a chapter that is the book our hero, was reading when her life was interrupted.
This chapter has a tone of its own and mixes the actual content of the book and the thoughts of the person who is reading it.
Art by Teo Tigishvili.
P A R T 2
From this chapter onwards, we are inside the story of “The Ghost Reader”. Here we meet our protagonist Lou. She wakes up under water and takes some time to understand what has happened. As a ghost, she wonders around this unknown city and explores the perks of being invisible.
Illustrations by Lân Vũ Đình.
P A R T 3
Lou wanders around the city in search of good reads. She ends up finding more than that.
P A R T 4
As Lou learns all things after life related she finds a companion to help her find more about the story of her life.
Illustrations by Lân Vũ Đình.
Cover by Doca Vestalia and Malu Lara.
THE GHOST READER SCREENPLAY
Genre: animation, urban fantasy, adventure
Format: an adventurous, slightly dark and thought provoking animation TV series with five parts.
Screenplay: 120 pages
This is the tale of Lou, a girl who dies in an airplane accident. Alone on the other side, she goes on a quest for answers and for someone alive who is reading the same book she was reading when her life was interrupted. She ends up finding much more than that.
As she wanders through an unknown city and learns to navigate as a ghost, she meets an exciting yet mysterious friend, Vega. Another ghost, Vega takes on the mission of helping Lou adapt to the afterlife. Beyond that, Vega also provides valuable insights into why Lou's life was the way it was.
The character develops in two ways. As Lou slowly adapts to the fluidity of being a ghost, she also starts to understand more about her life on Earth. She grows as a soul and gradually learns that her happiness is hers to create; all it takes is imagination and the ability to let things go.
The story taps into the teachings of the Stoic philosophers and is spiced up with delicate satires of modern society. At the same time, it invites people to think about death and to care more about how they play their part in this world while alive. In this world's premise, when we die, we end up in a frequency that matches us, surrounded by people who are just like us. This offers an interesting take on what defines heaven or hell—it depends on how much a person likes their own company.