CATHARSIS
Synopsis: An awkward introvert struggles to balance friendship and love all the while dealing with the slow resurfacing of childhood trauma.
In the early fall of 2020, I had just released my first big thriller, and it was met with great reviews. It was the first time I felt I was really being taken as a serious filmmaker. However, with that came the added pressure of following it up with a script worthy of the same recognition. I knew I didn’t want to make another thriller as my follow-up. I needed to craft a story that was completely different. Soon, I found myself studying psychology and how to write it into a story realistically. I knew that would allow me to write people rather than characters.
I then decided that I would allow myself to write vulnerably - really for the first time in my life. I needed to tell a story that was personal to me. And with that, I no longer cared about the pressure of following up my thriller film. All I knew was that I needed to tell a story that depicted trauma and depression with care.
From the initial idea at the end of September 2020 to the final draft that November, I knew I had something special in my hands. By December, I had a full cast and crew of people I trusted to handle the material with care. After a very quick shoot of just over half a month, CATHARSIS was born. Released the following year, it still stands to this day as a turning point in my career as both a filmmaker and a storyteller.