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Gone Away

A story of loss, Gone Away follows a young boy, not yet understanding of the concept of death, who is sent to live with his grandmother after the untimely passing of both of his parents. After another tragedy unfolds, unbeknownst to him, he must go on this journey of grief along a different route.

  • Grant Wild
    Director
  • Grant Wild
    Writer
  • Grant Wild
    Producer
  • Clark Wild
    Key Cast
    "The Boy "
  • Debbie Chung
    Key Cast
    "Pei/Mo Mo"
  • Grant Wild
    Cinematographer
  • Grant Wild
    Editor
  • Project Type:
    Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Drama, Coming-of-age, Asian-American, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 18 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    March 1, 2021
  • Production Budget:
    200 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English, Mandarin Chinese
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Episcopal Collegiate
  • Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Awards
    Jonesboro, Arkansas
    United States
    Excellent Rating in Film Editing
  • Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Awards
    Jonesboro, Arkansas
    United States
    Excellent Rating in Film Art Direction and Set Design
  • Arkansas Scholastic Press Association Awards
    Jonesboro, Arkansas
    United States
    Excellent Rating in Narrative Film/ 2nd Place
  • All American High School Film Festival
    New York, New York
    United States
    October 9, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Fort Smith International Film Festival
    Fort Smith, Arkansas
    United States
    August 14, 2021
    Official Selection
  • Asian Cinematography Awards
    Manila
    Philippines
    Semi-Finalist
Director Biography - Grant Wild

Grant Wild is a director, writer, editor, actor, and musical artist who was born and raised in Little Rock, Arkansas. While in pre-school, Grant discovered his passion for acting and motion pictures. He has worked on several commercial and film projects as on screen talent like the student short film “My Spicy Grandma” which was screened at film festivals internationally. During high school he was inspired by the works of filmmakers like Lulu Wang, Bong Joon Ho, and Barry Jenkins which led to his decision to follow filmmaking as a career path. Now steering in the direction of work behind the camera Grant has independently directed, written, shot, edited, and produced his debut short film “Gone Away.” The music video for his satirical track “Hoedown in Chinatown”, which he co-directed and edited, was an official selection and won 3rd place in the music video category at the Ozark Media Festival in 2020. As a multi-racial individual being raised by a Chinese mother and a Caucasian father, Grant finds exploring race, culture, and identity as major motivators for his creations. After graduating as part of the class of 2021 in May, he plans on attending film school in the fall and pursuing his dreams as a storyteller through many different mediums.

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Director Statement

I intended this movie to be about a boy experiencing loss in a way no child, or
a person in that matter should ever have to endure. It became more about the parallel between an elderly woman who visibly struggles with the loss of her parents, as seen through her ritual of writing them a note every day and her house being full of items and photographs to remember her lost loved ones, and her grandson who explores her home, not knowing his ancestors in the photos, and believes his parents will return although they are dead. The protagonist, "The Boy", navigates the story with a lack of understanding of death and where his parents have gone. He believes without a doubt they will return.
This short was inspired by my Mo Mo’s (grandmother) own difficult battle with coming to terms with the loss of my great-grandparents, along with my youngest brother Clark’s innocence and lack of understanding at the time, and it allowed me to create an authentic story of loss. Along with loss, the set reflects Mo Mo’s pride and strong grip on her culture. All of the props and set design are real items in her home and I did very little to manipulate her home into an immersive set for the boy to exist in.
Coming from a multiracial and cultural background myself, I understand the difficulties as an adolescent to feel comfortable in your own skin and in America to remain grounded in your ancestor’s Chinese traditions. The boy not only comes from a place of innocence in regards to death, but in his distance from his maternal grandmother he is alienated from his sense of family and knowledge of Chinese culture. Culture and family are largely part of the essence of this film and I found it important to include shots where the audience would see the items and photographs that surrounded the boy.