SUITCASE is a short narrative film based on the true story of a suitcase mix-up that connected me with a stranger, resulting in me receiving a treasured video of my father waving goodbye to me five months before his unexpected death.
As I’ve shared this story with others since my father’s death two years ago, I have witnessed firsthand how this story affects those hearing it. This simple story of serendipity touches something deep, profound and unspoken in people, often bringing them to tears. While I have never asked what it is they are experiencing, I believe that when faced with the scary, fearful prospect of losing a parent or someone we deeply love, the idea that the universe or some other entity might interfere in order to ease that transition is deeply comforting.
Connecting with others in these moments made me realize that the story was bigger than just a personal anecdote. Last year, I was at a film festival in Cincinnati when I got into a deep conversation with another filmmaker about why we continue to make films in a world rife with increasingly short attention spans saturated with an overabundance of content. He responded in a seemingly simple way: “I think we make movies to feel less alone,” and my heart responded before my brain could catch up.
I thought, "I have a story that is an uplifting message of a parent's love and of human interconnection," and I knew right then that I wanted to share this message with as many people as possible.
SUITCASE serves as a reminder of connection in a disconnected world, but more than anything I hope the film inspires others to appreciate what, and most importantly who, we have with us, right now.
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