Dead Week

After Christmas and before New Year's Eve is what I've been calling Dead Week for many years. It's the time of the year when nothing happens. People go on vacation. Companies shut down. By all accounts, we could call this dead week. In truth, it's the time of year when the dead gives rise to life; when fertilizer feeds new green; and things once dormant (prepare to) come to life. It's the glue between the seams, or in this case, the years. Coincidentally, I've also been, well, I wouldn't call it obsessive, but preoccupied with "death." No, no, no, I'm not depressed, or in some sort of deep funk. It's so easy to intellectually accept the fact that I am going to die. But I'll admit it is difficult to believe that it's real.

This movie is about death, and the denial of it. We create diversions, vices, and justifications. We create a story for ourselves in order to do so. And within this story, we are the central heroic character that conquers, solves, or at least control the elements to give ourselves some sort of meaning and context to this thing called life. Death is coming. Death is real. And honestly, it is not unwelcome. It draws me, and comforts me. Like a train ride, I travel patiently because I know I will finally arrive at my destination. Yes, I am the central character in this life. The story I've created is the journey to making great films. This is what I've decided to do with my time. In order to make this story great, I've placed great obstacles in my path. I have to overcome my own character defects. I have to shut out a lot of criticism from industry, family, and friends. I have to believe in the invisible. I could call winning an Academy Award the completion of the story. But really, that's not the story at all. The story ends when I inhale, but cease to exhale.

So I take a deep breath while we finalize financing, paperwork, and logistics. This is the silence before the snow finally falls on this production.