Dental Breakdown

A root canal, a mouthful of gauze, and unresolved feelings collide when a neurotic young man seeks his ex-girlfriend’s help with a dental bill.

  • Alessandro Girolami
    Director
  • Alessandro Girolami
    Writer
  • Meaghan Cassidy
    Producer
  • Alessandro Girolami
    Producer
  • Peter Previte
    Key Cast
    "Blake"
  • Rachel Kordell
    Key Cast
    "Chloe"
  • Jim Auger
    Key Cast
    "Oliver"
  • Christian Ladigoski
    Co-Producer
    Seasick (2021)
  • Justin Morales
    Co-Producer
  • Quinlan Sullivan
    Director of Photography
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Runtime:
    7 minutes 2 seconds
  • Production Budget:
    850 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States, United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States, United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Sacred Heart University
Director Biography - Alessandro Girolami

Alessandro Girolami is a writer, director, and editor based in Ridgefield, Connecticut. He received his bachelor's in film at Hofstra University in 2015 and is currently pursuing his MFA at Sacred Heart University. His worked has won awards at the Ridgefield Film Festival and the Broadcast Education Association. He creates deeply human stories with humor, melancholy, and emotional honesty, often through flawed but sympathetic characters. His influences are Steven Spielberg, Sean Baker, Taika Waititi, Andrea Arnold, Charlie Kaufman, and Richard Linklater.

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Director Statement

Dental Breakdown was born out of a terrible week in March 2024, when my dental insurance lapsed, a potential romantic relationship fell apart, and a post-production gig was abruptly canceled causing me to question my career as a filmmaker. Not only did I burst into tears at one point, but I also found myself laughing. Comedy, for me, has always been about tension—stretching it, twisting it, and finally snapping it in a way that reveals something true.

I’ve always been fascinated by how we blow things out of proportion in our own minds—how small problems snowball into existential disasters. Blake, the protagonist, isn’t just trying to fix a dental bill; he’s trying to fix something much bigger—his past relationship, his self-worth, his entire sense of control. The more he scrambles, the worse things get, and we watch his desperation teeter between comedy and tragedy. This isn’t just a guy mumbling through gauze; it’s about the raw, pathetic, and deeply human ways we deal with heartbreak and responsibility.

Visually, I wanted to reflect Blake’s frenzied mental state—tight compositions, quick cuts that mirror his spiraling anxiety, and a setting that feels both mundane and suffocating. Every element is designed to keep the audience locked in his perspective, making them feel the weight of his self-inflicted disaster.

At its core, Dental Breakdown is a story about coming to terms with what we can and can’t fix. Beneath the farce of insurance loopholes and garbled speech, there’s a real emotional journey—a guy who’s been holding onto the wrong thing for too long, finally realizing it’s time to let go.