“A film is – or should be – more like music than like fiction. It should be a progression of moods and feelings. The theme, what’s behind the emotion… the meaning, all that comes later.”
- Stanley Kubrick
Director
Bench Seats
When an argument with her wife lands Dani at an emotional crossroads, she reflects on her memories of one transformational summer and how the patterns of the past echo into the present.
Short Film - Drama
Writer, Director, Editor
Bench Seats is currently on the festival circuit and can’t be posted online yet. Click here to request a private link to the film.
Director’s Statement
Storytelling is my way of exploring human fallibility and the complexities of loss.
Bench Seats explores the transition of divorce and the loss of childhood that accompanies it. While not directly autobiographical, it’s a deeply personal film that reflects how my childhood experiences have influenced my relationships as a wife and a mother. I wrote the script after coming out of the chaos of early parenthood, which gave me a new insight into my mother’s experience as a young parent in the 80’s.
After a 20-year career as an editor, shaping the visions of others, Bench Seats is a creative homecoming for me—a long-awaited gear-shift back to filmmaking that I’ve been planning for a long time. My background as an editor has given me a deep understanding of storytelling along with a sharp eye for emotional nuance, and with this film, I aimed to craft an intimate yet universally resonant portrait of how healing and growth are filtered from one generation to the next.
I hope this story fosters conversation and connection, and I am excited to share it with audiences.
