Private Project

America, I love You

Forest Sun stars in this light hearted interpretation of his song lyrics filmed in Yellow Springs, Ohio.

  • Teresa Schumacher
    Director
  • Forest Sun
    Producer
  • Forest Sun
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Music Video
  • Runtime:
    3 minutes 43 seconds
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Teresa Schumacher

Teresa B. Schumacher first began dabbling in film-making when she joined a sketch comedy troupe in Sacramento, California in 2011, where she wrote scripts and directed and edited short comedy films. She has since branched out into other creative mediums including writing and photography, and enjoys every aspect of the story-telling process. In 2019 she created a travel company called Candid Voyage, with a goal of shedding light on stigmatized places and sharing stories from off-the-beaten path travel destinations. When she is not traveling or focusing on creative projects she works as an emergency veterinarian in Ohio and California.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

I created the music video, “America, I Love You” at a time when the United States appeared to be unraveling at its seams. Everywhere I turned, I encountered bad news - a pandemic running rampant, political unrest, racial tensions, corporate greed. Meanwhile the American Dream was tipping the scales into full-fledged insanity as people coped with their stress the only way they knew how - by buying more stuff. When I heard Forest Sun’s “America, I Love You” the song struck a chord…no pun intended. His lyrics gave voice to my own conflicted emotions and heartbreak, wanting so desperately to love a country that is so beautiful in theory yet in reality so deeply flawed. As in any satire, the main character in this film is over-the-top in his material excess and representation of The American Dream. All he has to do is think of something he wants, and there it is in his grasp. As he gallivants about in all of his privileged, undeserved glory, we listen to a soundtrack that speaks to a country deeply fragmented and in need of repair. In the end, our protagonist wakes from his dream, and we see him step off the set like a sleepy, bewildered child, still clinging furtively to his belongings. My hope is that, aided by a bit of laughter, we can look past this country’s shiny exterior and take an honest look at that part within all of us that is so absurdly, unapologetically American.