JUST BEING HERE | 13' 2021

director

Walter lives alone on a wooded property and hasn’t ventured more than a half-mile from his house, but his life is far from ordinary.

Beginning my final year of college amidst a global pandemic left me wondering how, in a time of self-isolation and separation, I might create a film that would help people discover that we’re not truly alone. My thesis film, “Just Being Here,” shares the story of Walter. Walter has lived alone most of his life and finds solace and wonder in the nature of his backyard. This film is about his, and our, sense of place: both in the interconnectivity of the natural world that we inhabit and the social connections we so profoundly need as a part of our shared human experience. “Just Being Here” invites vulnerability and offers companionship. It teaches us how to appreciate the spaces we occupy as a source of comfort in the absence of others.

Screenings and Selections

  • Sundance x Adobe Ignite Fellowship 2021 — Finalist

  • Holle Award for Excellence in Filmmaking 2022 — Award Winner

  • Middlebury New Filmmakers Festival 2021 — Shouldice Family Prize for Best Vermont-Made Film

  • Made Here Film Festival 2021 — Audience Favorite Award Winner

  • Scout Film Festival 2022 — Cinematography 19 to 24 Award Winner

  • New Jersey International Film Festival 2021 — Honorable Mention

  • Maine Student Film Festival 2021 — Excellence in Storytelling Nominee

  • Indy Shorts International Film Festival 2021 — Official Selection

  • Coast Film Festival 2021 — Official Selection

  • NewFilmmakers NY 2021 — Official Selection

  • Adirondack Film Festival 2021 — Official Selection