A Place to Hide

Charlie and his mother, Laura, are on the brink of poverty, living out of a motel room they rent monthly. His mother, in late-stage dementia, requires constant care; leaving him unable to work. Receiving no help from his absent father, Charlie resorts to sex work at night to get the money he needs to care for his mother.

  • Eámonn Wrightstone
    Director
  • Eámonn Wrightstone
    Writer
  • Kelly Wang
    Producer
  • Una Campbell
    Producer
  • Elisabeth Viel
    Associate Producers
  • Eámonn Wrightstone
    Associate Producers
  • River Knight
    Key Cast
    "Charlie"
  • Lisa King
    Key Cast
    "Laura"
  • Michael Walls
    Key Cast
    "Will"
  • Alex Raby
    Key Cast
    "Evelyn"
  • Eámonn Wrightstone
    Director of Photography
  • Tristan Mogari
    1st Assistant Camera
  • Lauren Koo
    2nd Assistant Camera
  • Steven Zambon
    Camera Operator
  • Katherine Woloson
    Gaffer
  • Carsten Nahum
    Key Grip
  • Ben Cruz
    Best Boy
  • Larry Yu
    1st Assistant Director
  • Elisabeth Viel
    Script Supervisor
  • Maya Marzuki Peters
    Production Design
  • Sarah Jean Williams
    Production Design
  • Katie Adams
    Set Design
  • Aline McEntee
    Art Director and Wardrobe
  • Drew Pitts
    Hair and Makeup
  • DeeDee Deonanan
    Hair and Makeup
  • Olive Ryan
    Casting Director
  • Nuala Sanchez
    Casting Assistant
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Experimental, Drama
  • Runtime:
    9 minutes 38 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    August 31, 2022
  • Production Budget:
    5,131 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital, Black Magic BMPCC 6K
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1:9:1
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - New York University
  • WILDSound Screenplay and Film Festival

    Best Performances
Director Biography - Eámonn Wrightstone

Eámonn Wrightstone is a 22-year-old director based in NYC. With a start in social justice work and community organizing, he began to transition into filmmaking with the purpose of telling stories with “taboo," queer, family, socio-economic, and mental health-related topics. Eámonn strives to uplift underrepresented voices/communities behind and in front of the camera.

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Director Statement

When I was in 10th grade my dad almost died from his third bout of cancer. In the 4 years prior, we had lost 3 other family members in tragic circumstances. Suddenly, death was all I knew and all I could see. As a growing adolescent, I felt my youth and my parents stripped from my helpless hands. I had to grow up faster than I was ready to. Go get a job, go to school, do every activity you have to to get into college, and pretend your life is normal even though nothing would be the same. I decided that if I could stand on my own, I would never need my parents. I didn't even realize it was all to protect myself from my fear of losing them next.

Now, at 22, I find the vast openness of life daunting. I feel like I can barely see 5 feet in front of me. I think I've realized that part of being an adult is just pretending you know the answers when really, you're still that terrified 10th grader at the foot of his dying father's bed.

“A Place to Hide” is a story about coming into adulthood and how realizing our parents’ mortality becomes the suffocating realization of our own. How does growing up start to feel more isolating as we mature? How do we find connection when we feel like there’s no one who understands us, no one who sees us? In what ways do we perform in our lives to feign control? What lengths will we go to for the ones we love? Sometimes we find ourselves just searching for a place to hide from it all, but life always seems to always find a way to seep in.