The Liberator
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The untold story of the Holocaust's pink triangle survivors...
Project type: Fiction Short
Project status: Production
Writer/Director: Patrick Fritz
Producer: O'Shea" Myles
Producer: Kyle Wilson
Director of Photography: Jeff Caroli
Production Designer: Myra Barrera
Editor: Raymundo Archila
Website: Liberator Website
Facebook: www.facebook.com/liberatorfilm
Film Independent’s Fiscal Sponsorship program opens the door to nonprofit funding for independent filmmakers and media artists.
Logline
A gay Holocaust researcher struggles to convince his boyfriend’s grandfather, a Dachau liberator, to reveal his untold story of gay pink triangle survivors. By lifting their voices and the memories of a secretive Holocaust liberator, this film depicts the power of empathy and healing to crush hate.
Synopsis
EMMETT, a Black, gay Holocaust researcher, seeks to uncover the secrets of the gay, pink triangle survivors. He enlists his boyfriend, ROB to convince SAM, Rob’s grandfather, to reveal his story of liberation day at Dachau. But Sam refuses––the memories are far too painful––and he suffers a panic attack. When Emmett discovers a box of Dachau artifacts––and a pink triangle inside––he is compelled to share the story of MARCEL, a liberated gay survivor who found the courage to speak. Sam overcomes decades of trauma and recounts his story of gay survivors.
Meet the Filmmakers
Patrick Fritz – Writer & Director
Patrick is a writer, director, and production designer. He has completed ten projects with Disney Digital Network and his LGBTQ+ short film, Elijah, has screened at UTA, WME, and many film festivals. His directorial body of work includes documentary interviews with composer Alan Silvestri, NFL coach Pete Carroll, and Matt Barkley.
A 2016 graduate of the School of Cinematic Arts at USC, Patrick also holds a M.S. in Entrepreneurship & Innovation from the Marshall School of Business. In his spare time, Patrick plays the trumpet and mellophone and is a proud alum of the Spirit of Troy Trojan Marching Band.
O’Shea” Myles – Producer
O’Shea’’ Myles is a writer, director and producer and has written four independent features. She was the Associate Producer on the Oscar nominated student short “Amelia’s Closet”. She is a recent graduate from the University of Southern California (USC) School of Cinematic Arts where she earned her Master of Fine Arts degree in Film and Television production Dec. 2016. Since graduation, she has worked at CAA, the Sundance Institute, and Netflix.
O’Shea’’ is an advocate for and member of the LGBTQ community and volunteers time to supporting community organizations.
Kyle Wilson – Producer
Kyle is a professional Post Production Producer & Supervisor, working primarily in scripted television. His credits include shows such as Bloodline (Netflix), Catch-22 (Hulu), Into the Badlands (AMC), and most recently The Alienist: Angel of Darkness (TNT). Focusing primarily on dramas, Kyle has an affinity for period and historical works.
An avid lover of the outdoors, he spends much of his time outside the cutting room hiking, camping, or playing golf. He holds a BA in Theater from the University of Southern California.
Jeff Caroli – Director of Photography
Jeff Caroli is a cinematographer and an associate of the American Society of Cinematographers(ASC) technical committee. Jeff has filmed all over the US and internationally including Australia, China, Vietnam, Indonesia, Cayman Islands, and Malaysia.
His most recent work BALI: BEATS OF PARADISE has released theatrically in the US and internationally. Jeff has shot commercials for companies like Intel, Cisco, and Dyson.
Myra Barrera – Production Designer
Myra discovered Production Design when she was exploring career options which would marry her love of storytelling, art, and design. She attended The University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Film & Television Production. Since graduating, Myra has pursued her love of Production Design relentlessly, working on features, shorts, commercials, and music videos of varying size and scope. Whatever the challenge, she prides herself on being an experienced team-player that understands and works to facilitate the requirements of other departments whilst being a highly creative and hands-on designer who loves the process of film-making and storytelling over everything else.
Contact
For inquiries, please contact fiscalsponsorship@filmindependent.org.