What even is a normal body?

Malibu Soda, a college thesis film, presents a story about a gay young man, Taylor, who struggles to find beauty in himself. He distracts himself from acknowledging his body by mimicking personalities and people he deems "perfect". One person in particular who draws his attention is a pop star, REVE. While her life and persona appear truthful, fascinating, and superior on the screen, the public watches fabricated and manufactured moments created by the powers above...

MAIN CAST.

Taylor | XANDER TOTI (he/him)

Xander’s experience spans from University Shakespeare and theater productions to student films at Emerson. By learning all aspects of the trade from the RoundHouse Teen Performance Company, he had the opportunity to research as a Fellow at the Folger Shakespeare Library. Xander can play a convincing nice boy from many time periods, while also employing his voice and body language to portray complex and conflicted characters.

Currently a Student at Emerson College in Boston, MA.

REVE | COURTNEY BROOKS (she/her)

Coming off a very successful career wrangling teenagers in a public school setting, Courtney is now a working actor in the Boston area. After graduating from Syracuse University by the skin of her teeth, Courtney understands what it takes to succeed in the entertainment industry: patience, hard work, and a belief in oneself. A relentless overachiever with an inferiority complex, Courtney can also bake 5-minute brownies in 3 minutes.

​In all seriousness, Courtney wishes to thank the entire cast and crew of Malibu Soda and is profoundly grateful to have been a part of it. She is also deeply indebted to director Lucas Arruda for his faith in her.

Lilah | SARAH STRYKER (she/her)

Sarah Stryker is a Providence actor who spent her formative young adult years studying acting in NYC. In May of 2019, she graduated with a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in Acting for Film, Television, VoiceOver, and Commercial at Pace University. In addition to her on-screen training at Pace, she has received coaching in Shakespeare, improvisation, and vocal production. She looks forward to building her career in the New England area. Special thanks to Lucas and his team!

Evan | RAHEEM K.D. LEE (he/they)

Raheem KD. Lee, 26, of Boston, MA is currently residing in NYC as an Integrated Musical Theater at American Musical Dramatic Academy (AMDA). Raheem trains across all three major disciplines of the performing arts and is dedicated to mastering his craft. He is interested in musicals, stage acting, directing, writing, and acting for film & tv.

Performer | ROZA LAY (he/him)

Different artists express themselves through various media. The sculptor has their clay, the painter has their oils and even singers use their voice to express their emotions. As an artist, I draw heavily from childhood memories and experiences, and Cambodian traditional dancing played a pivotal part in my life. Dancing allowed me to connect to and express my culture in new ways, especially in the world of fashion.

Interviewer | CHRISTOPHER GREGORIE (he/him)

Bio Unavailable At The Moment

Listen to the Inspiration

Malibu Soda embraces a similar rhythm and editing style found in pop music videos. Discover music that helped inspire the aesthetics, visual concepts, and shots in this film.

By finding and listening to music that encapsulated the same energy of this glowing world, Lucas began to imagine individual, music video concepts for some of these songs. From those separate ideas and looks, he merged these imagined moments into Malibu Soda's cinematography.