Film
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Director Statement
I wrote the first draft of this story in therapy. There was much to unpack: born and raised in a three generation Navy family, a truly loving but very flawed family environment, the need to overcome the emotional limitations of my parents, the depression, anxiety, dread… and the death of my father. (I’m sure falling from a ladder is in the top 5 dumb ways to die list.)
My father had been retired for long time when he passed, but when he as still in the submarine service he'd spent long periods of time away from the family throughout his Naval career. He had been isolated in his mental illness and addiction, something he carried with him into his civilian years.
Drinking is a way of life for many service people, and the number one addiction in the veterans community, something that the families of the Vets need to carry along, hide, live with.
When I started rewriting the project, through research and sharing with others I realized that alcoholism is much more common than what it felt like a very unique situation to us as a family or the Navy, and that everyone has a complex and complicated family story. Many people have scars from growing up in relenting grinding dysfunctional families and all of us need to process and heal.
Most importantly, I realized that death is the ultimate time limit for forgiveness and closure. That at the time of a death everyone grieves differently and they're holding on to their personal regrets as resentment, remorse and dwelling are for the living left behind.
But most of all, I realized that unless we face and tend to our wounds, we will never heal them.
ANGEL is a nod and a “I see you, you scarred child” to everyone who’ll watch and feel this film to their bones, and a shared moment of healing with a huge splash of dark humor.
Director
APPRAISAL
Anna Koukouli Born
Writer
APPRAISAL
Ann Allsopp
Producer
Heartless
Jonathan Akkawi
Producer
Alitisal
Nicole Ansari-Cox
Key Cast
"Sarah"
Succession, What a feeling, Son of the South
Rachael Hip-Flores
Key Cast
"Elvira"
Anyone but me
Jarrod Bogan
Key Cast
"Jake"
Angel
| Angel | |
| Narrative Short Films | |
| parental loss, father, siblings, navy, family, alcoholic, accident, funeral | |
| 22 minutes | |
| United States | |
| 2024 | |
| English |
Synopsis:
The two adult kids of an alcoholic retired Navy Officer, maneuver their way through his funeral preparations and grief, by trying to put his unfinished last beer in the coffin, so he won't get sober in the afterlife.Director Statement
I wrote the first draft of this story in therapy. There was much to unpack: born and raised in a three generation Navy family, a truly loving but very flawed family environment, the need to overcome the emotional limitations of my parents, the depression, anxiety, dread… and the death of my father. (I’m sure falling from a ladder is in the top 5 dumb ways to die list.)
My father had been retired for long time when he passed, but when he as still in the submarine service he'd spent long periods of time away from the family throughout his Naval career. He had been isolated in his mental illness and addiction, something he carried with him into his civilian years.
Drinking is a way of life for many service people, and the number one addiction in the veterans community, something that the families of the Vets need to carry along, hide, live with.
When I started rewriting the project, through research and sharing with others I realized that alcoholism is much more common than what it felt like a very unique situation to us as a family or the Navy, and that everyone has a complex and complicated family story. Many people have scars from growing up in relenting grinding dysfunctional families and all of us need to process and heal.
Most importantly, I realized that death is the ultimate time limit for forgiveness and closure. That at the time of a death everyone grieves differently and they're holding on to their personal regrets as resentment, remorse and dwelling are for the living left behind.
But most of all, I realized that unless we face and tend to our wounds, we will never heal them.
ANGEL is a nod and a “I see you, you scarred child” to everyone who’ll watch and feel this film to their bones, and a shared moment of healing with a huge splash of dark humor.
Credits:
Anna Koukouli BornDirector
APPRAISAL
Anna Koukouli Born
Writer
APPRAISAL
Ann Allsopp
Producer
Heartless
Jonathan Akkawi
Producer
Alitisal
Nicole Ansari-Cox
Key Cast
"Sarah"
Succession, What a feeling, Son of the South
Rachael Hip-Flores
Key Cast
"Elvira"
Anyone but me
Jarrod Bogan
Key Cast
"Jake"