Hiraeth (grief for a place)
This week I got to watch a group of people come together as their best selves.
Hope is a short film on grief becoming tangible. After I wrote the screenplay, I then talked a few friends into making it, or perhaps they convinced me. In any case, somehow our enthusiasm grew into 14 people, mostly volunteers, showing up in Hope, Michigan. The film is now with a film editor/friend. And hopefully what we created will mean something to someone other than just me.
What I’ve carried since those days on the shores of Wixom Lake is a few images. Below are the ones I can put into words.
The actress Gabriela Saker stood at a doorway in a scene that messed with my head. I had the weirdest deja vu. Not only had I been there before, but I’d been there in two ways. One was in words on the page and the other in real life. Gabriela yanked me back in time, twice. Was that magic?
Brendan Babinski and Ross Barron - the cinematographer and the director - both came to make something big. On the first day, during prep time, I looked out at the lake, and they had started filming. No fanfare or notice; they came ready to create.
Three scenes in the movie knocked the wind out of me both in their performances and in the synchronicity all around. Those three images I’ll save for people to see for themselves; all I’ll say here is they have to do with a sunset, a dry dock, a cat, and green army men.
Another image I carry with me is from the last night, when shooting was done, and we were all exhausted. It was after nine pm, and we had to get all the props out of the house and clean up. People who volunteered for this spent hours making sure the house was left perfectly. While Brendan Babinski got the film copied and all the lenses packed away, people transformed the house so that it appeared we’d never been there. The director Ross Barron had been up before everyone, showed up to set with a focus I’ve never seen before, was the last to bed, and still he did much of the heavy lifting in getting the props put back. There’s a line in The Karate Kid that Nick likes to quote, “it’s all kung fu.” How you put your jacket on the hook is how you do everything. These people know kung fu.
Laura Vosejpka worked longer and harder hours than everyone. When she dropped me off at the airport, I half expected her to say, “With friends like you, who needs enemies?” But instead she’s been sending me outrageously amazing movie posters - take a look here and let me know which ones you love.
Finally, one of my favorite scenes was when the actor, William Campbell, said, “I’ll see you next week,” and I could hear what he actually meant.
Here’s a list of everyone who means something to me and to this project:
Gabriela Saker
William Campbell
and Coriander from the Cat Cafe
Director Ross Barron
Director of Photography Brendan Babinski
Film Editor Richard Glazerman
Executive Producer Laura Vosejpka
Assistant Director Mallika Chandaria
1ST Assistant Camera Justin Festejo
Production Designer Sam Poznak
Sound Mixer Troy Wells
Gaffer Trevor Stevens
Key Grip David St George
Production Assistant Carter Gilstad
Associate Producer Sarah Schulz - who donated two rental houses for four nights, which in and of itself helped make this movie possible.
