Synopsis: In search of meaning after the passing of her young daughter, KT chooses a life centered around serving her community. 'An Invitation' is a meditation on grief, parenthood, and living authentically in light of death.
Directors Statement: "An Invitation" emerged from my residency at the North Carolina Zen Center, where I had the privilege of meeting KT. From our first interaction, KT's warmth and kindness drew me in, forging a deep connection that would shape the course of the film. As the cook for retreat participants, KT's role extended far beyond the kitchen; she became a beacon of hope and resilience, her story unfolding with each passing day. After her daughter Erin's tragic passing in a car accident, KT embarked on a journey of healing and renewal, finding solace in serving her local community in Pittsboro, NC for the past twelve years.
The title "An Invitation" encapsulates a profound realization that KT experiences, highlighting the depths of her journey and the themes explored in the film—an invitation not just to provide nourishment through food, but to embrace vulnerability and authenticity in the face of loss. This realization is the cornerstone of the film's exploration into the complexities of grief and the transformative power of acceptance. Through this small window into KT's journey, I've been deeply grateful for the opportunity to reflect on my own experiences of loss and resilience. Thank you, KT, for inspiring us.
Release Date: TBD
You Make It - Honors Thesis '21
Synopsis: You Make It is a short documentary that follows filmmaker Sam Mescon in his pursuit of connection and community. Driven by reflection and introspection, You Make It is a self-portrait of the artist in his senior year of college as he explores his lifelong feelings of isolation and the social conditions that have caused it.
Directors Statement: You Make It is a summation of my artistic inquiry throughout my four years of undergrad at Clark University, in Worcester, MA. Filmed over the course of my senior year, the film builds off my previous works of street photography and self-portraiture as I attempt to resolve the complex feelings of isolation I’ve experienced throughout my young adulthood.
When I came to Clark freshman year, despite being surrounded by many people who looked like me and shared similar backgrounds, I felt the continued sense of alienation of my suburban upbringing. In an effort to soothe these feelings of isolation I walked the surrounding streets of Worcester with the intention of meeting and photographing strangers. However, rather than answers, these connections raised even deeper questions and concerns about the systematic inequalities that many surrounding communities in Worcester experience, and the ethical issues of documentation. I came to realize my photographs were merely satisfying a personal desire and that I didn’t know anything about the community I was in.
This film documents my personal journey as I come to better understand the forces that shape togetherness and community. Through several conversations with local community members, academics, and role models, I’ve come to see my personal experience of isolation as a microcosm of universal social dynamics. Gentrification, class divisions, racial inequities, and the isolation of individualism are all drawn into question as I aim to be in right relation with my communities.
