Filmmaker Statement

“Is it better to speak or to die?” A film asked me that question years ago and I've never stopped thinking of it. Growing up, bottling up emotions and disguising feelings were the norm. I felt myself burdened with the universal fears and anxieties of becoming your own person, and so I had to carry them. I would eventually learn fears become a lot less scary when they are said out loud, and anxiety becomes a lot less overwhelming when it is shared. Things like death and heartbreak are rooted in a loss of connection; no one is healing without connection. Whether you’re growing up, grieving, or both -- you’re not getting through it alone. I wrote this during a time where it felt difficult being open in my connection with others. Exploring that in a comedic way, against this setting, felt like a natural inclination for me & the stories I like to tell. Our film asks “Why does no one talk?” I hope we all learn to answer that for ourselves. I hope people talk about it. I hope people talk.