Private Project

Parricide

40 days after the death of his wife, Adrien develops an obsession to walk on water. He visits the nearby pool every day, repeatedly throwing himself in the pool as if he’s performing a ritual. In the meantime, Portia, his 19-year-old daughter, struggles to accept her father’s condition, intimidated by his obsessions. One day, Portia and Adrien get into an argument after he refuses to let Portia meet her friends. That night, Portia checks upon her sleeping father and secretly leaves the house, joining her friends in a party. When Portia returns back home in the morning, Adrien catches her red handed. And for the first time in her life, Portia challenges her father.

  • Seunghee Chang
    Director
    The Beauty of Other Things, Passover
  • Seunghee Chang
    Writer
  • Ryan Magrisi
    Producer
  • Nicholas Leahy
    Producer
  • Arwen Vira-Marsh
    Key Cast
  • Brian Rooney
    Key Cast
  • Joette Waters
    Key Cast
  • Danielle Llevada
    Key Cast
  • Danny Mares
    Key Cast
  • Nick Leahy
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Genres:
    Drama
  • Runtime:
    12 minutes 3 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    December 5, 2023
  • Production Budget:
    3,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    Yes - Northwestern University
Director Biography - Seunghee Chang

Seunghee Chang works between South Korea and the US as a filmmaker and writer. His films, which often explore themes of nostalgia, trauma, and faith, have been screened at multiple international film festivals, including the 2024 Roxbury International Film Festival, Big Shoulders International Film Festival (Best Narrative Short), Art Film Awards (Best Student Film) Richmond International Film Festival, Student Cuts, and many more. His recent documentary, “The Beauty of Other Things,” examines the Han River in South Korea as a site of grief and mourning from the perspective of a suicide survivor. The film premiered in South Korea at the 77th Korean Psychological Association Annual Symposium, inaugurating a series of special symposiums focused on overcoming South Korea’s suicide crisis. Seunghee is the 2019 recipient of the Kwanjeong Scholarship and the 2022 recipient of the Burton and Karol Lefkowitz prize. He is currently an MFA candidate at Northwestern University’s Documentary Media program.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

My paternal grandfather was born in the Pyongan province (now part of North Korea) in the 1920s and converted to Christianity after interacting with American missionaries. During Korea's time under imperialist rule, my grandfather had a Sunday school teacher who grappled with accepting this new religion that emphasized mercy, grace, and liberty amidst the violent reality of colonialism. A year later, this teacher developed an obsession to walk on water like Christ. He passed away the following year. "Parricide" is a contemporary adaptation of this story—a portrayal of a similar obsession, this time through the perspective of a close bystander.