Kona & Isabelle (2007)

Isabelle is a young, wide-eyed, aspiring graffiti artist from a small town. Life is full of bliss until Isabelle discovers that her boyfriend, Kona, has landed an artist's grant to paint murals over the top of her beloved graffiti, in an anti-vandalism campaign. "Graffiti has nothing to offer us, its just teen angst painted on a wall", says Kona. All of this painfully confuses Isabelle because graffiti is her passion. If Kona cant respect what is a part of who she is, then how can he love her? Shortly thereafter, a chance encounter and a needed moment of emotional reprieve, places Isabelle on a freight train to Toronto. Is this an attempt to escape the arrogance of her boy-friends perceptions or a journey to discover who she really is? Upon arrival, Isabelle finds herself in the eclectic setting of inner city life where she encounters: a new best friend that DJs, a burnt out Social Activist; a streetwise Skater, a generous clothing Designer, a volatile Anarchist, and an empathetic Cafe Owner who offers her a job and a place to stay. After days of searching for Isabelle, Kona discovers that she has run away to Toronto. Looking for guidance, he turns to the one person he trusts, his fine arts teacher, Professor Lepont. Kona is determined to find his missing girlfriend and the reasons for her departure. With the continued support of Professor Lepont he buys a train ticket and begins his search. Not knowing what's ahead of him, he soon learns Isabelle has everything he's been looking for. To Kona's surprise, his Native Indian heritage may hold the key to locating Isabelle. A mysterious Indian Spirit, that may or may not be part of his imagination, seems to encourage Kona's unorthodox plan for finding the "needle in the haystack". To regain Isabelle and her love, Kona begins a far-fetched courting endeavor that utilizes her chosen medium of expression, the graffiti itself. Meanwhile, territorial realms of urban and cultural diversity are traversed as Isabelle goes on a journey of spirit, strength and courage.