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Respite

Down and out private-eye Jimmy Baz reluctantly takes on a case to find a missing college student when the dead bodies of Muslim men start turning up leading him to believe he is now searching for a serial killer.

  • Saro Varjabedian
    Director
    After Water There Is Sand, The Ridge
  • Saro Varjabedian
    Writer
    Squaw Valley
  • Ahmet Devran Dayanc
    Producer
    Billiardo
  • Monte Bezell
    Producer
    El Gallo, Saint Nicholas
  • Karina Bezell
    Producer
    Saint Nicholas, The Americans
  • Julián Juaquín
    Producer
    Take Point, El Gallo
  • Monte Bezell
    Key Cast
    "Jimmy Baz"
  • Julián Juaquín
    Key Cast
    "Detective Richard Alves"
  • Ahmet Devran Dayanc
    Key Cast
    "Khalid Turner"
  • Haythem Noor
    Key Cast
    "Detective Amir Amjad"
  • Project Type:
    Feature
  • Genres:
    Crime Drama, Thriller, Suspense
  • Runtime:
    1 hour 18 minutes
  • Completion Date:
    June 3, 2020
  • Production Budget:
    40,000 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    2.39
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Saro Varjabedian

Saro Varjabedian, a queen's native of Armenian descent is an award winning International Cinematographer and Director. As a Cinematographer, Saro has photographed eight feature films, one feature documentary, several web-series and countless shorts. He has filmed internationally in Cuba, Armenia, France, Lebanon, Mexico and India. His work on the short film "Jesus Loves Yusef" has won Saro the Best Student Cinematography Award at the 2012 Palm Springs International Film Festival. “The Traveller” an International Lebanese/French Co-Production feature film has screened at the 2017 Tallinn Black Nights Film Festival, the 2018 Dubai International Film Festival and was nominated for Best Cinematography at the 2018 Lebanese Movie Awards. He has also photographed the international Bulgarian/Cuban Feature film entitled, "Havana Darkness" and the international Bulgarian/Mexican Feature film entitled, “Welcome to Acapulco” which are currently available on VOD platforms. Saro has most recently photograph the feature film, “The Scrapper” and he is slated to photograph the Indie drama entitled “Ultra.”

As a director, Saro has directed five short films and a TV Pilot. Most notable, is his short film entitled, "After Water There is Sand," which has screened at several International film festivals, including the 2013 International Golden Apricot Film Festival, the 2012 International Pomegranate Film Festival, the 2012 Arpa Film Festival, the 2013 Boston International Film Festival, the 2013 International Family Film Festival and the 2013 Women and Minorities in Media film festival. He directed the TV series entitled, "The Ridge" which is currently airing on Amazon Prime. Saro just finished writing, directing and photographing his first feature entitled, “Respite.” And Saro is writing a feature script on the 1960 winning Olympic American Ice Hockey team entitled “Squaw Valley.” Saro is a recent Columbia MFA Graduate and has taught cinematography and directing at New York Film Academy.

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Director Statement

“Respite” came about because the film's producer, Monte Bezell saw an exposé aired on Frontline about the sub-cultural practice of Bacha Bazi that some powerful men in Afghanistan are still practicing to this day. He wanted to make a film about one of those boys exacting their revenge against their abusers. I hadn't heard about the practice before Monte mentioned it to me. After doing some research into the taboo practice of Bacha Bazi, I felt compelled to write a script that explores the cruel nature of man and how the trauma inflicted onto their victims haunts those victim's waking day for years on end. Which begged the question for me whether revenge can at times be justice when governments and the institutions meant to protect the innocent fails them and if revenge will ever offer the respite the victim is so desperate to find.