“Even if two people have been estranged for years, a father and daughter reconnecting can be like looking in the mirror.” – Lily Clayton Hansen, Award-winning Screenwriter, Producer & Actor
As an author, journalist, and actor, I feel so lucky to have translated my 17 years of writing experience to filmmaking.
Over the last few years, making socially-conscious films like the multi-award-winning “Snowflake,” has captured my heart, soul, and spirit. I love the “show, don’t tell” adage of filmmaking, which lends itself to relaying stories I couldn’t figure out how to do in book or article formats. I have also loved fine-tuning my mission, which is to make morally conscious, positive, and thoughtful content. I truly believe what we absorb seeps into our subconscious, and I want to produce content that will make people think, feel, and realize there is beauty all around us.
My new short film “Half Full, Half Empty” explores the story of a father and daughter who reconnect on a road trip after many years apart.
Riding on the coattails of my Telly Award-winning film “Snowflake,” which captured the psychological effects of social media in a documentary style, my hope is that “Half Full, Half Empty” fills a similar void. There are far too few father-daughter films in the canon that speak to this critical relationship in a child’s life. My goal is to add to this niche a warm, funny, and engaging depiction of a father and daughter figuring out where they stand as adults. (“Are we friends or am I your parent?”)
At a time when society is openly speaking out about the correlation between a child’s ability to develop healthy relationships and their upbringing, “Half Full, Half Empty” explores this idea in a very relatable way. Jeff and Sarah, a father-daughter who reconnect on a road trip after many years apart, feel the only way they can reestablish their bond is to be trapped in a car. I have also gone to extremes at times to mend broken family bonds, mostly because they mattered that much. By showing a father and daughter fearlessly walking down memory lane and figuring out where their relationship went wrong, I aim to show that reconciliation is possible. For anyone who has ever had a falling out with a loved one, I hope this film encourages them to extend the olive branch, and most importantly, realize healing is possible.
Wherever the deck falls, facing someone who has hurt you deeply will always set you free.
Thank you for considering supporting “Half Full, Half Empty,” which will be entirely filmed in Tennessee, where I will also hire local cast and crew. I am so passionate about making socially-conscious films and hope this is the first in a long line of many.
