Goldenrod

When 7-year old Clara Payne's father leaves to fight for the Union in the Civil War, Clara must follow his footsteps and help not just her family but another as well.

Goldenrod is an historical-fiction short film as proof-of-concept set on a farm in Cattaraugus, NY in the years 1861 and 1862. Pastoral hills with amber waves of grain, the ancient and densely forested Appalachian mountains, and a tiny farm occupied by a struggling family provide the backdrop while the film explores themes such as childhood trauma, racism and feminism through the lens of a set of non-combatants in the struggle which pitted North versus South; family versus family.

The film follows the inquisitive young girl Clara Payne (Harper Holmes) as she comes face to face with the realities of the American Civil War when her father Judson (Weston Young) leaves the family to join the Union cause. Judson’s leaving causes the family predictable hardship as Clara’s mother, Ruth (Briana Leon), and older sister Ida (Amber Bates) struggle to take care of Clara and her twin brother Owen (Ryker Overacker).

Unbeknownst to the family, Judson has been assisting the Underground Railroad, helping guide untold numbers of freedom-seekers along his stretch of the corridor running directly through Cattaraugus to Canada. While reminiscing about her lost father, Clara meets a family also stranded by Judson’s absence; Flora (Stella Coviello) and her mother Adele (Asia Burns) must decide whether to trust someone so young when they are so close to freedom.

  • Harper Holmes
    Key Cast
    "Clara Payne"
  • Stella Coviello
    Key Cast
    "Flora"
    Law and Order, Organized Crime, Sisters Pilot
  • Briana Leon
    Key Cast
    "Ruth Payne"
    High Guardian Spice
  • Weston Young
    Key Cast
    "Judson Payne"
    Paladin:Brotherhood
  • Asia Burns
    Key Cast
    "Adele"
  • Ryker Overacker
    Key Cast
    "Owen Payne"
    Bottle Monster
  • Amber Bates
    Key Cast
    "Ida Payne"
  • Marjorie DeHey
    Director
    Bottle Monster
  • James DiLullo
    Writer
    Star City Murders, The Conan O'Brien Show
  • Keenan Miller
    Director of Photography
  • Anthony Dillistone
    1st Assistant Director - Remote
  • Rodin Eckenroth
    1st Assistant Director - On set
  • Rodin Eckenroth
    Producer
  • Paul Overacker
    Producer
  • Keenan Miller
    Producer
  • Dr. Mary Reid-Gaudio
    Producer
  • Anthony Dillistone
    Producer
  • Rick Jacobs
    Producer
  • James DiLullo
    Producer
  • Jesse Parker
    Audio Department
  • Suzzanah Kaiser
    Audio Department
  • J. Garrett Vorreuter
    Post Production Supervisor
    Wild Orkids
  • Fred Brown II
    Editor
  • Dr. Mary Reid
    Music Producers
  • Keenan Miller
    Music Producers
  • Gavin I. Glynn
    Music Producers
  • Rodin Eckenroth
    Music Producers
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Period, Drama, Family, Civil War, Farm
  • Runtime:
    18 minutes 20 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    May 23, 2022
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
  • Digital Cinema Package:
    Unavailable
Director Biography - Marjorie DeHey

Marjorie is a multi-award-winning director, producer and writer, who recently directed the compelling Civil War drama short film, Goldenrod. Based on a screenplay by James DiLullo, Goldenrod follows how two young girls’ lives intersect in a divided world.

Previously, Marjorie directed, produced and wrote her first feature length film - Bottle Monster - featuring Billie Proffitt, industry veteran Willie Aames and Emmy-award winning actor Kim Estes. She received numerous film awards for this film (domestically and internationally) and also received the prestigious p.g.a. mark for her producing work on the film.

Often cited for her insight into international productions – from independent films to tent-poles – she has created, sold content, and negotiated deals for top TV and film projects including: Rogue (DIRECTV), the James Bond Franchise, and numerous other top TV shows and films. For her previous short film¸ The Same Conversation, Marjorie received numerous film awards from around the globe.

A voting member of the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (EMMYs©) and the Producers Guild of America, Marjorie is currently in pre-production on her eagerly awaited 2nd feature-length film which she will again direct from her own script. She has written numerous screenplays and several television pilots, is a publish author having written a story for an anthology of women-written horror stories entitled “A Scream in the Night” (published by Black Bed Sheets Books) and is collaborating on a series of thriller/fantasy stories aimed at a Young Adult readership.

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Director Statement

I directed Goldenrod as a vehicle to show how young women are powerful and can change the destiny of those around them. This is a story of two fierce young girls trying to understand the complicated world around them. Clara’s journey to understand that she no longer can be a child at young age shows the loss of innocence that all children experience. Stella’s desire to believe that there is good in the world after all the pain she has seen reflects every person’s heartbreak when they realize how much bad there is in the world but it is beautiful how she clings to the hope that there is good. The story tells of the choices that each character makes to try to understand the horrors of the world and their desire to protect their families and the hope that they can make the world a better place. To me, this story shows innocence lost and the emergence of two strong young women that strive to create a better world for everyone.