Private Project

Reflections: When It's No Longer

Reflections is a dramatic short film about the human experience of loss. Dad, a senior, who lost his wife three years ago, moved to an old farmhouse acreage to get away and start anew. However, he has not been able to fully move on. That is until today. He is just about to take a final step when his son, Geordie, unexpectedly drops in to check in on him. Their conversation reveals how differently they are handling loss. Will Dad and Geordie hear one another before it’s too late?

  • Wanda Reinholdt
    Director
    Are You Listening? A Pathway to Empathy
  • Gordo Blakhart
    Writer
  • Wanda Reinholdt
    Producer
  • John Reinholdt
    Producer
  • Kyle James Barber
    Director of Photography
    The Great Fear
  • Don Somerville
    Music/ Composition
    Are You Listening? A Pathway to Empathy
  • Gordo Blakhart
    Key Cast
    "Dad"
  • Cliff Liknes
    Key Cast
    "Geordie"
  • Mary Armstrong
    Key Cast
    "Mom"
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    20 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    August 9, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    10,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    RED
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Wanda Reinholdt

Wanda is passionate about telling great stories that motivate and inspire audiences to change their perspectives or approach. Her ability to listen and transform a story to film and stage is second-to-none, making her a highly sought-after director/producer/storyteller.
Nominated for a Calgary 2018 Stinger Award as well as receiving several Festival Commendations for the TELUS-supported short film, Are you Listening? she wrote and directed (now on www.saltflix.com), Winner of Best Director at the Alberta One Act Festival (2009) for Graceland, Wanda has continued to be a pioneer for female directors. She served on the directing team for the feature The Great Fear and has directed short films including Reflections, Perogy Boyz and Belong…Create…Connect. Wanda’s directing with Barrett Hileman showcased her work around North America, and her time with Burnt Thicket Theatre exposed Wanda to authentic personal storytelling.
Beyond the director’s chair, Wanda has been involved in award-winning productions including Corporate Ladder, directed by Mike Peterson, and has acted in web series including The Off Screen Series.
In addition to her undergrad degrees in Theatre and Music, Wanda has completed film directing and acting apprenticeships with Neil Schell, has an IRP in Design and participated in a Directing Mentorship. She is the Artistic Director for Reinholdt Productions.
Wanda is a member in good standing with the Alberta Media Production Industries Association (AMPIA) and the Calgary Society of Independent Filmmakers (CSIF).

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Director Statement

We all will or have experienced loss. Loss is a part of life. Things change. It is guaranteed. This truth has especially hit home since the world experienced Covid-19. So much loss and grief of so many kinds: Jobs. Loved ones. Opportunities. Money. Respite. Breaks. Graduation. Connection. Health. Life. So much pain. So much change. We just never know what life is going to throw at us, do we? Sometimes, it’s devastating. Life altering. This is the reason I said yes to becoming the Director for “Reflections” in the fall of 2018. I saw in the script a way to help people learn about loss and grief because it came from personal experiences in Gordo’s life. I too had experienced a lot of loss in my life so I knew a little about it. And because much of my grief had been processed through play therapy, I thought I would do well directing this film. But it turned out that I did not know the deepest grief and the world was not ready for this film yet.

We were getting into pre-production for an April 2019 shoot of this film when my Dad fell ill and passed away in March 2019. I had experienced other losses in my life: grandparents, friendships, loss of money, loss of opportunity, loss of health, loss of fertility. But losing my Dad was profound and life changing for me. I had to take some time to gain back my strength and my energy because I lost so much with his passing. And during that time, I learned intimately what is means to go through deep loss and to grieve. Then, lo and behold, other health challenges on our team and other losses forced us to postpone. And just when we were getting through that, Covid-19 hit.

I cannot imagine now doing this film without the experiences I and my team have had since 2018. I know our film will be that much more potent and impactful because we have experienced and processed much loss. Although challenging, it’s true that sorrow can have a positive impact on our hearts and souls if we let it. Through sorrow, we can consider the seriousness of life, evaluate our situation, and make changes to improve our lives. My prayer is that this film will encourage all of us to have conversations about loss and grief and to move through that sorrow to joy and wellness.