The first 30 days of a new relationship can be exciting and perplexing. In the new film, 30-Day Rule, writer-director Rahiem Shabazz and writer Christal Jordan explore the romantic chess game that men and women play during the early stages of a relationship. Shabazz and Jordan spoke about the project and the unique route they are taking to get it into theaters. –amir shaw
What projects have you worked on prior to this film?
Christal Jordan: I wrote a novel a few years back titled Under the Cherry Moon. I’m also the president of Enchanted PR.
Rahiem Shabazz: I’m a journalist and award-winning filmmaker. I wrote and directed The Sun Will Rise. It won five awards. It put me in a position to work as a PA on Tyler Perry’s movies. I’ve also written for a lot of urban driven magazines.
How did you guys come up with the idea of partnering to do this film?
Jordan: Raheem and I have talked about partnering to do a film for a while. We debated on how good of a liar a man can be and I think women know when they are being lied to. The movie centers around the main characters, Rome and Katina. Rome believes that he can get away with telling lies and cheating. But his friend tells him that there is a 30-day expiration date on the lies he tells women. He finally meets his match once he gets involved with Katina.
Shabazz: Some women know when men are lying, but they stick around. It comes down to being hurt by the truth or protected by a lie. We did a poll on Twitter and most people said that they would rather be hurt by the truth.
How are you financing this film?
Jordan: We are using Kick Starter to raise funds for the film. People can look at the video and get a chance to donate. This allows more people to support you. There are a lot of successful films that were done like that. A few films have won major awards using Kick Starter to raise funds.
Shabazz: People can log onto to Kick Starter and look up 30-Day Rule. We are in the process of recruiting a top notch male and female lead. We want people to really get involved in the conversation. This is a movie that celebrates love — that’s kind of been missing. So we hope there are people who want to see more films like this and are willing to get involved.
