03: THE GIVER.

There tends to be an immense amount of pressure when it comes to living a 'legacy' and figuring out our place in a world when our loved ones leave us. And we never really know how we'll react: denial or acceptance, periods of lows or a roller coaster of emotions, craving company or rejecting it. THE GIVER is a story about grief, process, and moving forward. It's about art, developing your voice, and re-discovering memories. It's about two people coming together and finding common ground in their sufferings, and those same people finding hope and a little bit of joy. I wanted to explore the meaning of a small interaction, a slice of life sampling of what happens when a young woman grieving the loss of her mother meets an older man with dementia who is seeking to relive the memory of his wife. Bennie meets Arthur, and THE GIVER is born.

The Giver began as a 13 page script that came together in a single 12-hour day of filming. More than 35 setups, multiple takes - all of my nerves crashing down on me when looking at the schedule, but by gosh we pulled it off. It took a tremendous effort - and I wouldn't have been able to make it happen without the help of the team, many of whom are pictured below. Filmmaking truly does take an army, and because of the ethic and focus of my team, were able to capture footage to create a compelling edit. And, with the dedication of my post-production team, we were able to create a film we’re all incredibly proud of. And for that, I’m eternally grateful.