Kesi (2020)

SYNOPSIS

On the eve of her 21st birthday, Kesi and her band of stuffed animals travel back home for her mother’s funeral

DIRECTOR’S STATEMENT

“Kesi” is a tribute to my late mother, Shesanie. She is the reason I started making movies in the first place. When I was 17, I wrote my first feature screenplay and she simply said, "You have to make it." She even agreed to play a main character, to help out with the production. After shooting one scene with her, it was clear she had been drinking before hand. I took her aside and asked her not to do that, that it was disrespectful to the other actors. I was totally ignorant of alcoholism and addiction at that age, but she took the note. She showed up sober (I think) everyday after that, knew all her lines, and was amazing. I couldn't have done it without her and wouldn't still be making movies today if it weren't for her.

In 2018, she died of complications due to alcoholic-induced cirrhosis of the liver. It seemed like making a film was the only way to honor her life and make sense of her death. When she was growing up, her family nickname was "Kesi."

In this film, the deceased Mother character IS my Mother. We used her name, likeness, cause of death, hobbies, impressive number of ex-husbands, possessions and even her real ashes. This is her final on-screen appearance.