Cleopatra’s Secret Daughter
A queen reborn.
Years after Cleopatra’s fall to Rome, her secret daughter Aelia lives in hiding—until her estranged, power-hungry sister Selene lures her deep into the desert for a forbidden ritual to resurrect their long-dead mother. As sacred blood stains the sand and ancient incantations awaken what should have remained buried, Aelia is drawn into a waking nightmare of seduction and sacrifice, venom coursing through her veins… and love may not save her from what waits beyond the veil.
Cleopatra’s legacy doesn’t end with her death—it’s inherited. Buried deep in the desert, it lives on through her daughters. Now, the secret rises. Her bloodline, long silenced, stirs again.
Cast & Crew
Written, Directed & Edited by: Craig Baurley
Cailyn Rice as Aelia
Livya Howard-Yashar as Selene
Kistina Pressler as Cleopatra
Music by Joseph Kaplan
with Paulina Michels
Camera Operator: Jeffery Michaels
Camera Operator: Ben Wolf
Stage Grip / Electric: McCall Olsen
Desert Grip: David Price
Production Assistant: Raquel Valencia
Standin: Jesse Smith
Stunt Performer: Mara Hancock
Foley Performer: Camille De Gend
Production Designer: Craig Baurley
On-Set makeup: Dre Lamparello
On-Set makeup: Holly Rose
Movement Direction & Fight Choreography: Livya Howard-Yashar
Plasterer: Emily Kwong
Sarcophagus Model: Rissi Zimmerman
Poster Title Graphics: Greg Ghielmetti
From Sand to Screen: Building Cleopatra’s Tomb
This visual journal documents the design and fabrication process behind Cleopatra’s Secret Daughter, a supernatural drama set in the shadow of ancient Egypt. Created by filmmaker and designer Craig Baurley, it traces the development of the film’s practical effects — including sculpted sarcophagi, mummy prosthetics, ritual masks, and custom-built sets — from early sketches through final production.
Production Design
Featuring behind-the-scenes photography, material references, character design tests, and step-by-step fabrication notes, the book offers a close look at how the film’s unique visual world was constructed. It’s a resource for anyone interested in production design, special effects makeup, or the hands-on craft of building cinematic environments from the ground up.
Mistress of Magic, Speaker of Spells
– whose voice can awaken the dead.
