“Curses: The Charm of Hope” is a film about pirate Andrew Swallow, driven by a deep-seated desire for revenge, setting sail on a perilous journey with his ruthless crew and a mysterious woman in search of a secret treasure.
Andrew Swallow is inspired by real-life pirates and privateers, notorious for their brutal tactics and cunning strategies. He is a complex and conflicted character, motivated by revenge but haunted by his past.
The mysterious woman is inspired by classic femme fatales and other strong female characters from adventure stories. She is a skilled navigator and fighter, with her own motivations for the treasure.
“Curses” draws inspiration from real-life pirate legends, the piracy history in the Caribbean, and other parts of the world.
Curses: The Charm of Hope writing playlist:
- Not Waving – 99
- Vangelis – Le singe bleu – Remastered
- Nacho Maldonado – Dear Ko (To Ko the Regt)
- Essaie Pas – 514 376-9230
- Menahan Street Band – Midnight Morning
- Thom Yorke – Unmade
- Ekkehard Ehlers – Plays John Cassavetes 2
- Julian Lage – In Heaven
- The Dale Cooper Quartet – Une Cellier
- Yom – Saving the World Is Easy
- Eydís Evensen – Brotin
- nthng – With You
- Death Cab for Cutie – Pepper – Acoustic
- Joseph Schiano di Lombo – Caresses (Always Too Short)
- Hans Otte – Wassermannmusik (Aquarian Music) I.
- Chassol – Wersailles (Planeur)
- Frantz Casseus – Suite No. 1: Petro
- Simón Díaz – Tonada Del Cabestrero
- Ignacio Maria Gomez – Ile Penaro
- Miles Davis – Générique – Bande originale du film
- “Ascenseur pour l’échafaud”
- Baden Powell – Canto De Xango
- La Chica – Interlude
- Anna von Hausswolff – Dolore di Orsini
- Maurice Ravel – Daphnis et Chloe: Part III: Lever du jour
- Pompeo Stillo & The Companions – He Was a Guitar
- Player and Now Plays Machinegun in Vietnam
- Rogér Fakhr – Lady Rain
- Squarepusher – Detroit People Mover
- Josiah Steinbrick – Full Bloom
- Hatis Noit – Aura
- Hannah Peel – The Unfolding
- Douglas Dare – Red Arrows
- Shabaka and the Ancestors – Teach Me How To Be Vulnerable
- Anna Homler – Almost Beautiful
- _BY.ALEXANDER – DEAR THERAPIST
- Cate Le Bon – The Light
- Cristobal Tapia De Veer – Wake Up!
- Hiatus Kaiyote – Red Room – Nick Hakim Remix
- Carlos Niño – Mezame (Awakening)
- cktrl – Lighthouse
- Forgiveness – Rainbird
- Guy Clark – Let Him Roll
- Conway the Machine featuring JID & Ludacris – Scatter Brain
Story Inspiration
The inspiration for “Curses” came from wanting to see an accurate depiction of a pirate’s world. The fact that pirate movies often portray an image of a world that wouldn’t resemble how those environments would have been. They wouldn’t have been overly clean and fun, people wouldn’t have been carefully put together with perfect teeth. While “Pirates of the Caribbean” has its appeal, the pirates wouldn’t be so well put together and even so presentably disheveled. It would be dark and gritty, as “Curses” is.
The history of piracy in the Caribbean and other parts of the world is a strong inspiration. The Golden Age of Piracy, which lasted from the late 17th century to the early 18th, saw the rise of notorious pirates such as Blackbeard, Anne Bonny, and Calico Jack. “Curses” draws inspiration from the real-life exploits and battles of these pirates, as well as the treasures they sought and the rivalries that drove them.
Classic adventure stories and pirate tales also inspired the story, like as “Treasure Island” by Robert Louis Stevenson and “Pirates of the Caribbean” film franchise. These stories often feature pirates seeking treasure and engaging in battles with other pirates and naval forces.
The character Andrew Swallow is inspired by classic antiheroes, such as the characters of Captain Ahab from “Moby-Dick” and the Man With No Name from Sergio Leone’s spaghetti westerns.
You can learn more about the Broken English production of Curses by clicking the underlined link.