On Dec. 13, Biola’s School of Cinema and Media Arts hosted the 2024 premiere of the Fall semester’s two Biola Films, “My Own Hair,” directed by Lauren Anderson, and “The Land of NOD” directed by Tristan Baumgardner. The premiere took place in the sold-out Ethel Lee Auditorium, with over 700 guests — of which more than 200 came from off campus. A livestream option was also provided for families and friends wanting to watch the premiere from afar.
Biola’s cinema and media arts (CMA) students are required to take a course in which a class of students produce and create the Biola Film. Two Biola films are created in the Fall semester and one is created in the Spring semester. Although the films have a 12-minute time limit, “The Land of NOD” was permitted to be 20 minutes long this semester. Both of these films were written by their respective directors, and were created 100% by students.
THE UNIQUENESS OF “MY OWN HAIR” AND “THE LAND OF NOD”
Anderson’s “My Own Hair” is based on the true story of one of Biola’s own faculty members, Renda Pettis, a kinesiology and public health professor. Taking place in September of 1968, young Renda Pettis, a young African-American girl, is inspired to wear her hair naturally after seeing a neighbor sporting an afro. However, her decision to wear her hair naturally has unforeseen consequences.
“The Land of NOD,” by Baumgardner, is a fantasy film that follows a young woman named Ella Grimm, who, amidst her grief for her younger brother, is transported to the magical Land of Nod, where she engages in a number of adventures with her companions Thomas and Iggo. “The Land of NOD” had everything from professional puppets and animation to a musical number, making it a multi-faceted student project.
INSPIRATION FOR “THE LAND OF NOD”
Writer and director Baumgardner was inspired to write this film after the loss of his own younger brother Dominic during his freshman year at Biola. The story was based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s poem “The Land of NOD” and how it has impacted Baumgardner in his own grief.
“As someone who grew up in a sizable family with five other siblings, I was often somewhere mediating between all of my siblings hoping to turn chaos into harmony,” said Baumgardner., “Thus directing, in some ways, comes naturally to me. Through directing NOD’s one hundred and fifty family members, my crew always invited me into the mercy, strength, and peace of the true Father and we trusted that he would help us create a way forward. With each encouragement and invitation, our family grew and grew.”
For the Baumgardner’s film producer, Eliana Henry, “The Land of NOD” pays homage to her grandfather Stan, whose love for photography, music and movies has inspired her own goals and passions.
At the premiere, both films were shown alongside trailers for upcoming student projects and a behind-the-scenes documentary for each of the Biola films. Hosted by students, the premiere also saw a surprise appearance of Nod’s lead puppet character, Iggo. After each film, the writer/director and producer went on stage to discuss their inspiration and experience of “My Own Hair” and “The Land of NOD”.
“For myself, the whole experience of the premiere felt as if it were the end of a good book,” said Baumgardner. “It was the same as that moment when, after reading an enthralling novel, one must set it down to take a moment and just ‘be.’ As you sit there, your eyes glance at the last ink marks in the final pages which are now stained with your tears. And I can vouch that during NOD’s final moment, there were indeed tears of joy, relief and praise.”
THE FUTURE OF THE BIOLA FILMS
The premiere ended with emotional speeches given by both directors and producers and concluded with an optional walk-through viewing of the props and costumes from both “My Own Hair” and “The Land of NOD” in the Sutherland courtyard.
For the hundreds of CMA students involved in the films, the premiere marked the end of months of hard, dedicated work to produce such multi-faceted and diverse student projects.
“As much as we are finished with ‘NOD,’ it seems as though it has not yet finished with us,” said Baumgardner. “What began with the loss of my brother almost four years ago has continued to expand the reality of what family looks like to me. To see this inspiring story, that I and a dear friend of mine wrote together, brought to the silver screen is nothing short of a dream coming true, but, as I write this, I think it would be more fair to say that ‘NOD’ is perhaps more so a truth cast as a dream.”
Both “My Own Hair” and “The Land of NOD” are expected to be submitted to a round of film festivals in the near future. In the Spring, another group of students will produce one Biola film to be premiered at the end of the semester.
