The Melissa Tree

Plot Outline

The Melissa Tree is a dark, spy thriller set in the Middle East, London, Washington and New York. The film, being developed by UK production company, Fig Cinematics, is about Paul Brodie, a psychologically troubled journalist with a destructive past, who travels to the Middle East to visit Melissa, a childhood friend, who then disappears before they meet.

In Bahrain, Brodie investigates his friend’s disappearance and soon finds himself hunted by CIA agents and assassins. He meets and falls in love with Beth, a lonely computer consultant. Together, as they search for Melissa, they uncover a covert plan to attack Iran, involving the Israelis, the CIA and a front running Presidential Election candidate, John Eagleton.

With the election just weeks away can Brodie and Beth stay alive long enough to break the story and stop Eagleton putting his terrifying plan for the Middle East into action?

The Melissa Tree is a redemption movie of our time, advancing a disturbing view of terrorism not seen in cinema before. It shines an uncomfortable light on the motivations of those who become terrorists and the government agencies who wage war against them. It focuses the audience’s attention on the choices/morality/ethics of the two main characters: Paul Brodie’s haunted terrorist and Admiral Eagleton’s ruthless CIA Director - constantly asking moviegoers to decide which of these two people is really the bad guy.

An intense, explosive and deeply emotional character-driven thriller, it brings together quality spy movies such as The Bourne Identity and personal redemption tales like The Kite Runner. It will appeal to audiences who like multi-strand plots, tense, Hitchcock-inspired set-pieces, engaging three dimensional characters and a moving, satisfying ending.