Filmmaker Statement

Tough Cookie is a contained comedy depicts a jewish family being torn by a decision by what to do with its aging matriarch, whether to commit her to a retirement home or not. During the time of writing and pre production, my own grandmother had been battling cancer for two years, and the feeling of not wanting to let go was on my mind as well as the rest of my family. Tough Cookie was shot in my hometown of Westchester New York during the height of the pandemic with a tight knit group of friends and family, mirroring the films themes of familial bonds. In just five days, everyone on set put their all into bringing these characters and the environment to life. The film came from a feeling of wanting to cling to the familiar and fear of change. Despite the family’s petty arguments, funny quirks, and messy dynamics, Tough Cookie is about the prevailing love and compassion of family despite trying times. The feeling I was most trying to communicate is that despite being slathered in awkw