Synopsis
Set in upstate New York in 1993, Sky.Zyprexa.Night follows Vera Arden, a once-celebrated poet struggling with bipolar disorder, who sets out with her twin grandchildren, Elise and Evan, on what she calls an “adventure.” Still mourning the recent death of her daughter, Vera believes that a woman named Grace—a self-proclaimed spiritual healer—can mend their family’s broken spirit.
What begins as a pastoral road trip drifts into an eerie, intoxicating world of tent revivals, ritual, and control. At Grace’s encampment, faith becomes theater, and healing becomes obedience. Vera, seduced by the promise of redemption, spirals into manic devotion, while Elise—an artist haunted by visions and her mother’s ghost—edges toward her own unraveling. Evan, desperate to protect her, finds himself powerless against the gravitational pull of belief and bloodline.
Blurring the line between revelation and psychosis, Sky.Zyprexa.Night explores how grief and longing can be weaponized in the name of salvation. Visually poetic and psychologically charged, it’s a portrait of three generations of women bound by inherited madness, yearning for transcendence in a world where faith and delusion are indistinguishable.
Key Personnel
Delfine Paolini – Writer/Director
Delfine Paolini is a Bronx-based writer, director, and visual artist. She is the former apprentice of legendary photographer Mick Rock, who offered her an internship when she was just sixteen. Under his influence, she developed an aesthetic that would later shape her work as both a visual artist and published poet. Her writing soon caught the attention of Johnnie Planco, former Vice President of the William Morris Agency, who introduced her to acclaimed director Paul Schrader. Schrader recognized her talent, championed her screenwriting, and guided her toward directing her first film. Lauded for her poetic language, on both page and screen, her haunting debut, A Wonderful Way with Dragons, has earned over 55 international awards, including Best Feature Film at Wales International Film Festival, and the Special Jury Prize for Best Feature Film at Avignon International Film Festival. Paolini’s work is often inspired by events from her own, unconventional life. Her films explore themes of mania and suicide within the fabric of family and memory. She has dedicated her career to exploring the contours of madness, investigating isolation as a liminal space—haunting, suspended, and unresolved.
Cinematographer – Abdelsalam Moussa
Abdelsalam Moussa is revered as one of Egypt’s most acclaimed cinematographers. He shot his first film Cactus Flower at the age of 24 and the film was nominated for the FIPRESCI Prize at the International Film Festival Rotterdam. His next film, About Her, was nominated for Best Cinematography at the prestigious Cairo International Film Festival. Most recently, he reteamed with Hala Elkoussy on the critically acclaimed feature film East of Noon, which premiered at Cannes Film Festival and was nominated for the SACD Prize at the Director’s Fortnight.
Executive Producer – Rene Bastian
René Bastian is the founder of Belladonna Productions Inc., which he established in 1994 to produce independent feature films, TV series and commercials of the highest creative standard and with the international perspective in their commercial appeal. Throughout his career, Bastian has enjoyed the privilege of working with iconic directors, such as Abel Ferrara, Michael Haneke, Amos Kollek and Wim Wenders and of producing the first films of some of our generation’s most exciting new talents, such as Michael Cuesta, Dito Montiel and Jim Mickle. Bastian’s films have won awards at the Sundance, Berlin, Venice and Toronto International film festivals and have garnered a Golden Globe, as well as two Academy Award nominations.
Composer – Mina Samy
Mina Samy is an Egyptian composer and music producer based between London and Cairo. His debut feature, Light: The Tale of Daye’s Family, opened the 4th Red Sea International Film Festival and was selected for the 2025 Berlinale in the Generation section. His second feature, Happy Birthday, premiered at Tribeca 2025, where it won Best International Feature and Best Female Director.
He is an Academy Gold Fellow through the Jonas Gwangwa Music Composition Initiative and an alumnus of both the Composer Filmmaker Accelerator (Vancouver International Film Festival) and the Film Composers Lab with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra. Mina was also selected for the THRIVE Mentorship Program, led by acclaimed composer Lorne Balfe.
