What is "Break" about?

"Break" is an independent short-form narrative film that addresses the subject of reconciliation and the profound power of vulnerability. 

I recently read an article where Silverman Professor of Psychiatry at Albert Einstein Medical Center,  Byram Karasu, writes:

"When you lose your ability to be vulnerable to others, everything you do becomes calculated. Even love and sex become items to be consumed rather than lived and shared. The invulnerable person can't be happy even in small ways (Psychology Today, 1/20/2011)."

This idea isn't new, it's echoed throughout literature of every age. In fact, you see it echoed in the words of the Apostle Paul who pens in 2nd Corinthians, 

"...when I am weak, then am I strong (12:10)." 

This film addresses how isolation and specifically our penchant toward avoiding being truly known for fear of rejection or ridicule can sabotage an individual’s ability to live a joyful life! Obviously there are serious issues to tackle on this subject and this brief film will not attempt to throw blanket statements at important concerns. It will simply suggest that any movement toward openness is a step toward a healthy state of mind.

In my view, the end result of a life void of vulnerability is summed up by a quote by C.S. Lewis from his book, The Four Loves:

To love at all is to be vulnerable. Love anything, and your heart will         certainly be wrung and possibly broken. If you want to make sure of keeping it intact, you must give your heart to no one, not even to an animal. Wrap it carefully round with hobbies and little luxuries; avoid all entanglements; lock it up safe in the casket or coffin of your selfishness. But in that casket- safe, dark, motionless, airless--it will change. It will not be broken; it will become unbreakable, impenetrable, irredeemable (121).  

Here's a brief synopsis of the film:

Abandoned by her alcoholic father at an early age, Jordan McKendrick, now 22, faces years of deep seeded insecurity when her terminally ill mother, Elizabeth, finally dies.  Left with a multitude of unpaid bills and the prospect of being homeless, Jordan confronts her estranged father who is the only benefactor of a forgotten life insurance policy that would seemingly solve Jordan’s problems. In the end, Jordan realizes her brokenness runs much deeper than financial trouble. She comes to understand that forgiveness and vulnerability are doorways to happiness.    

Why am I making it?

Since the production and distribution of my first feature film, Endure, I've been anxious to get behind the lens and put "lessons learned" into practice. This is a great story and one worth telling. It's also the culmination of over two years of Grad School! When the film is completed, It becomes part of my thesis and along with what seems like an endless volume of written material, I'll be submitting it in exchange for an MFA! So, thanks for helping me get this thing in the can!

Who's on your team?

One of the most exciting things for me about this project is that it's a reunion of sorts. I'll have the privilege of working with some of the great folks most responsible for helping me produce Endure as well as the award-winning short, "Blackwater Elegy!" My friends from NFocus Productions will be my production partners and we'll be using additional crew from the local area. I'll be casting a wide net in order to get the best actors - there's no telling who might land in the lead role so, stay tuned!

How can I help produce the film?

• The goal of the campaign is to raise the remaining $7,500 I need to complete the film. I'm putting in the rest for a total budget of $18,000!
• The campaign has a hard deadline of 11:59PM on May 25th.
• If you decide to help, you pledge whatever you want in exchange for outlandish rewards listed in the right hand column.
• If I make the goal by the deadline, your credit card is charged the amount of your pledge - but not until then. I get to make the film, finish my MFA and you get the rewards! Sounds great, right?
• If I don't make the goal - your credit card is NOT charged, I get nothing, no awards are exchanged and no one gets to see a great short film that could inspire untold numbers of people!
• SPREAD THE WORD! Your financial support is most appreciated - your spreading the word about the project is just pure generosity and I'm deeply grateful. 

Feel free to submit any questions you may have by using the "send message" link at the top of the page. Thank you for your support!

Credits

Photo by: Heidi Grimsley