Filmmaker Statement

This film draws from the feelings of estrangement I experienced when I left my close-knit childhood church, where my father is still the lead pastor. My apostasy in college broke my parents' hearts, and whenever I return to their community, the weight of my departure lingers—the pastor’s child who left and who they think is destined for an eternity apart from them. There’s an unspoken hope that I’ll return to my spiritual home, a longing that hangs between us. This film explores the tension between identity and belonging. When Solomon is forced to wear a military uniform to return home to his mother one last time, I hope to provoke the same questions I constantly ask myself: If I never returned home, or if I irreparably ruptured that community, what would I do differently? What are we willing to sacrifice? What lies are we willing to tell to protect each other, when we are called home to those we love?