Leave Before Dark
A couple visits a historic upstate New York bungalow colony in the off season and discovers why they were instructed to "leave before dark".
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David Charles EbertDirector
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Noam HararyDirector
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David EbertWriter
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Noam HararyWriter
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Noam HararyProducer
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David EbertProducer
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Jon ChenProducer
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Lindsey DresbachKey Cast"Rachel"
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Noam HararyKey Cast"Nathan"
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David EbertKey Cast"Walter"
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Project Type:Short
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Runtime:12 minutes 41 seconds
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Country of Origin:United States, United States
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Country of Filming:United States, United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
David Ebert was born and raised on a farm in upstate New York and knows too well how dark and quiet those soft, ancient hills can be. With over 15 years of experience in film, he began as an actor, appearing in Can You Keep A Secret alongside Alex Daddario, as well as The Hating Game, Search Party (Max), and Master of None (Netflix). Transitioning to directing, David has helmed campaigns for brands like Google, Netflix, and Heinz. He also co-created the Max series Ghost Story Club and co-wrote the Emmy-nominated It's Bruno! (Netflix). Known for his comedic background, including the Vimeo Staff Pick It’s Been Too Long, this marks David’s first venture into horror.
Noam Harary’s family has spent forty summers at the bungalow colony featured in the film, making it a deeply personal backdrop for this project. With over two decades of experience in film, Noam’s appeared in House of Cards, Harlem, and FBI.
He’s directed shows for National Geographic, high-octane campaigns for Nike, Beats by Dre, and whimsy ones for Crocs. He's long desired to find a project to bring together his passion for storytelling and his love for the colony, and this collaboration with David marks both their second directorial project and his debut in the horror genre. For Noam, this film is not just a story—it’s a tribute to a place that has shaped his life.
David Ebert and Noam Harary have always been drawn to the unsettling fear of familiar places turned strange. A high school the year after you graduate. A mall after it closes. Your basement with the lights off. It’s a discomfort that has been described as “kenopsia”—the eerie, forlorn atmosphere of a place that is usually bustling with life but now stands quiet and empty.
No location captures this sense of unease quite like the Rosmarins Bungalow Colony, the film’s setting and a historic relic of upstate New York’s “Borscht Belt.” Constructed during a time when Jewish immigrants were excluded from elite summer resorts, these colonies became sanctuaries of community, resilience, and cultural preservation. Over 500 such colonies once thrived; today, only two remain, including Rosmarin. For over 100 years, it has served as a summer haven for families, a place where Holocaust survivors gathered, Shabbat was shared, and memories were etched into the land. The film's co-director, Noam Harary, has spent every summer of his life there, making it an indelible part of his identity.
In this film, David and Noam wanted to explore what happens when a place you know and trust becomes alien and unwelcoming. Through this lens, they tell a simple yet deeply resonant story about the fear of entering spaces that no longer feel like they belong to you. The Rosmarin Bungalow Colony is more than a setting—it is a character in itself, steeped in history, nostalgia, and the shadows of those who have come before.