February (Or: Si Nos Dejan)

As I approach making a film for each month of the year, I am not just thinking about likely stories or Wisconsin culture that might have a place in that episode (it's going to be hard to avoid the topic of hunting come "November") but more how the month makes me feel. February to me is about the doldrums, the monotony of winter as the holidays are truly behind you and all you can really look forward to is the hope and possibility of spring.

I'm not sure where Miguel initially came from, or his story, but I knew I wanted to explore someone as different as possible from the protagonist of "January", a 75-year-old church volunteer and longtime Wisconsin resident. As soon as he arrived, it was like a welcome visitor I wanted to learn more about - diversity is sometimes hard to find in Wisconsin's small towns, but it is there all the same and there's many people living similar lives in the same place that get arbitrarily separated by race / culture / language. In "February" I sought to explore the things we have in common rather than the things that separate us.