Experiencing Interruptions?

Carry On

A young woman gets dressed after what seems like a one-night stand. The man she spent the night with can't seem to stop talking about his love for luggage. After finally leaving his place, the girl runs into a strange tourist with a very peculiar suitcase. Puzzled by this experience, she goes to visit her parents. Her mom informs her that her dad is not well and has started writing songs again. Of course, his songs are all about bags and travel. The young woman goes up to her dad’s room and finds him singing a song. Dad interrupts his song to tell his daughter that she should pack her bags because the family is relocating to Gibraltar where his music has gained commercial success. Heartbroken by her dad’s condition, the young lady has to tell him that none of it is true and that they are not going anywhere. Unable to cope with her dad's delusions, she runs out of the house and has another encounter with the tourist before ascending into heaven while being pulled upward by her backpack.

  • Ilya Popenko
    Director
  • Ilya Popenko
    Writer
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 45 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    September 27, 2023
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    21:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Ilya Popenko

Ilya Popenko is a multidisciplinary artist whose passion lies in film, photography, and music. Ilya was born in the Soviet Union in 1980. In 1996, he immigrated to the USA, where he graduated from Pratt Institute with a degree in photography. He has participated in numerous group shows, held multiple solo exhibitions in the US and abroad, and his most recent photo series, 'Vlad and John,' won First Prize at the annual PDN Magazine competition. His band, Mad Meg, has toured internationally and has released several critically acclaimed albums.
Popenko is relatively new to filmmaking. He made the transition from still photography to moving images only in 2020. Before completing his first documentary short film, "Girl with Flair," he had primarily been involved in creating educational and music videos. In 2023, Ilya completed two more films: a feature-length documentary, "Roll Bus Roll: A Jeffrey Lewis Documentary," and a narrative short titled "Carry On."

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