An Epilogue to Hegemon

Hegemon – Epilogue is based in the world of my feature script, Hegemon. The script for Hegemon placed top 30 for a 2023 Cannes residency. As a Black Muslim woman I was inspired to write the story as an analogy for the horror women regularly encounter in a patriarchal society. In the world of Hegemon zombies work collectively with a hive-mind mentality. They almost exclusively infect other men. And they wreak violence across the continent with little motive outside of gaining dominance and control.

In Hegemon- Epilogue our story begins 6 months after the zombie crisis is contained.Society is struggling to rebuild itself. The male population is drastically low as many were turned into zombies. We begin our story with Maya, a pregnant woman in her mid 20’s. She’s being held hostage in a makeshift medical facility for seeking an abortion– a capital offence in the new world.

In a society struggling to rebuild the population, Maya’s male baby is seen as a commodity. Her only hope for freedom is to cooperate with Spencer, the 30 year old leader of a prestigious army unit. Spencer offers to grant her the abortion she so desperately desires. But in return, Maya must tell him the whereabouts of one of her friends... A evasive serial killer dubbed The Butcher of Death. The Butcher has slaughtered over 10 people who only targets men. This short was inspired by revenge tropes seen in films like Gone Girl and I May Destroy You. Interrogation tools are used consistently throughout the short, heavily influenced by Inglorious Basterds. When writing this short I focused on exploring one singular question: Can patriarchy exist in a world where men are outnumbered?

Spencer, the leader of the army unit, has power. He is a symbol of authority and stature.He has access to weapons, ammunition, and soldiers who obey his every command.But he, and his army, are significantly outnumbered.Maya on the other hand lacks autonomy. Her body is constrained, tied to the bed. Her womb is inhabited by an entity she never wanted. But the little power she does yield comes from other women… and her serial killer friend who may unintentionally helps way the balance.