Empesis aims to curate films that capture the essence of personal realities and offer contrasting perspectives from various cultures worldwide, creating a doorway for the audience to explore and experience different perspectives beyond their own. By prioritizing films that represent or imitate the real world, Empesis hopes to mirror the world around us and foster empathy in its audience and to allow us to grow more understanding and connected. Additionally, the project was inspired by the classic movie palaces of the early twentieth century, which created a sense of grandeur and connection no longer widely experienced in today's world. While I believe it would be ideal to experience these movies within the walls of a true movie palace, each item works to help dissect each films meaning and themes. In order to connect to a wider audience there are various mediums in which this information is presented. 

With every big art movement, pioneers create a manifesto that outlines their purpose and goals, film movements are no different. Inspired by creeds such as that done for Dogme 95, I created a manifesto for Empesis that describes its purpose and more importantly the 7 succinct goals for the project. This is the piece that is the most informative of the brand itself instead of the films themselves. I also provide a subscription box which is themed around the film "Dancer in the Dark" includes a custom DVD, there are 3 more custom DVD’s that briefly break down their theme and provide the movie itself for people to watch. Other physical and unique items that elevate the movie watching experience include a certificate of authenticity, brochure, supplemental dvd, a movie prop, and branded stickers. For takeaways, I have customized M&Ms candy packaging and tickets that includes a link to the trailer or full movie to watch. By using physical media, the audience is encouraged to commit and commemorate their movie watching experience and connect more with the film more than if watching on one's phone.