Malibu Soda, a college thesis film, showcases a story about a gay young man, Taylor (early 20s), who finds it laborious to feel comfortable in his body and latches onto personalities and people he deems "perfect". One person in particular who attracts his attention is a pop star, REVE. He's obsessed with her image, and how she moves with so much nerve. He finds her to be superb in every way he wishes to be. He sometimes dresses in drag and wears Reve's iconic black heels and wig. This is when he feels perfect -- when he looks and feels different from his everyday self. While REVE's lights and facade mesmerize Taylor's vision, REVE is stoically battling her own hidden demons and pressures. 

 

While REVE's life and persona come off as glamorous and superior, most of what the public sees on the screen is fabricated and manufactured. REVE is sculpted in a way that benefits the money-making powers above and the vicious demands of societal expectations while, at the same time, diminishing her true self. All REVE wants to be is not-"perfect". She wants to be herself. 

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Malibu Soda is an experimental narrative that encompasses themes of identity struggles, ways of self-expression, playful narcissism, and how the media may influence someone's personality and body. Visually, this short film mixes music-video-style editing with cinematic narrative structures, creating a binary system of fantastical and fictional environments. This world shows the audience the struggles and beauty of living your truth.