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Logline

A daughter uncovers uncomfortable truths about her mother’s life and suicide as she navigates her own grief, forcing her to reconsider the complicated relationships with those left behind, including her mother’s former lover.

Synopsis

In 1975, Sarah has two children, Sandy, 11, and Jen, 15, and is drawn to an affair with a family friend – her husband’s employee, Cecil. Her marriage is strained, but she loves her husband.

She is trying to find a purpose and struggling with mental health issues. And while she thought she wanted another child, she becomes pregnant and decides to have an abortion.

11-year-old Sandy overhears her parents arguing. She finds the letters her mother wrote to Cecil. And her childhood is shattered when, Sarah, who can’t reconcile her longing for meaning, her love of two men, and her need to be supportive of her family, feeling trapped decides to die by suicide.

Fifteen years later, Sandy remembers the secrets and the trauma of her mother’s death. No she, her sister Jen, the caretaker, and their father Lem, still live together in that cramped house. None of them have really dealt with the loss of Sarah until Cecil returns.

Sandy suffers nightmares and relates a dream where she had Cecil’s baby but remembers her father was the one who wanted her mother to have the abortion – he didn’t want to start over. Now Sandy fears she is playing out the end of her mother’s story, repeating patterns and falling into her mother’s mental turmoil.

Sandy braces herself against her mother’s memory, yet she is drawn to Cecil—as if she can recapture her mother through him.

Sandy confronts Cecil to break the dysfunction, miscommunication, and cycle of deceit.

In a series of discoveries and admissions, the family comes clean about their past and present roles. Sandy takes ownership of her memories and comes to terms with them. She deliberately chooses to honor her mother, realizing that her mother was not a victim but someone who made her own choices.
 

Meet the Filmmakers

Elizabeth Stuelke — Director/Producer
Elizabeth Stuelke is an early/mid-career, over-40 female Director. She strives to make evocative work spotlighting female-driven stories of family connection, loss, and generational trauma to promote positive change in the lives of those most affected. Her first film, HER LOVER, shot in April 2024, is a short proof-of-concept and has won Best Cinematography at TINFF and Best Psychological Film and Best Micro Budget Short at the Milan Indie Film Festival. As well as Official Selection at RIBFF and Culver City. It had its NYC premiere at the NYWIFT New Works Lab Showcase in January. While developing this project, she started her production company, Fuzzy Pancakes Productions, LLC. She has recently completed Sundance Collab programs: Visual Story Telling: Shot, Image, Camera with Peter Markham and Directing Actors with Tessa Blake. As writer/producer, she has been a participant at Stowe Story Labs, Kenyon Review, WIFV DC, and NYWIFV, and has worked with executives Steve Douglas-Craig, Grahame Wood (Maclachlan Wood), and at Rocaberti Writers Retreat Chris Deckard (Fictional Entity). Elizabeth is passionate about stories and compelled to spotlight important issues in creative ways.

Robert Lodge — Cinematographer/Editor
Robert Lodge is a highly skilled and versatile artist and is renowned for his exceptional talent in visual storytelling. With a keen eye for detail, Robert has mastered the art of using lighting and camera movement to evoke powerful emotions that resonate with audiences. robertlodge.com

Kat Vivaldi – Assistant Camera
Kat Vivaldi is an artist/creative technologist based in Richmond, VA whose projects range from film, installation, sound, to performance. Kat earned their BFA from the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech with a film minor in 2019. They have since participated in several short film and feature film projects within the camera department, many of these can be found on several platforms including BET+, Lifetime, PBS, and HBO’s MAX. Kat has also performed varying roles for film festivals including Programming Fellowships for both Richmond International Film Festival and New Orleans Film Festival. IMDB, Instagram

Ben Weingartner – Sound Engineer
Ben Weingartner is a freelance sound recordist, audio engineer, and composer based in Richmond, Virginia. Across numerous short films, features, and a variety of other works, he has enjoyed collaborating creatively with others to help bring great stories to life and is always eager for the next project. IMDB

Heidi K. Eklund – Casting Director
Heidi K. Eklund began her career on stage, mostly in Shakespeare, in her younger years. After making the decision to explore something more besides acting, she briefly explored script coordinating in Hollywood. Heidi is now the owner of Hudson Valley Casting and has served as the casting director for various types of projects including film, commercials, promos, voiceover and more. Heidi is so grateful to have cast numerous projects side by side with Amy Hutchings. IMDB

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Contact

For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.