Experiencing Interruptions?

Take Away

We all fear being awakened by an unexpected phone call in the middle of the night. Unfortunately, most of us will eventually get that call, during which we learn that a loved one has died. It’s devastating and unmooring. In the blink of an eye, life as you’ve known it is irrevocably and permanently changed. But you’re still here and life goes on, whether you want it to or not. How do you pick up the pieces and move forward? Is it even possible? And what, if anything, can be taken away from sudden loss? Take Away explores the realities of this dreaded universally shared occurrence through the lens of a wide variety of ages, backgrounds, and cultural experiences.

  • Robert Sickels
    Director
    Night Birds & Ghost Crabs, Molasses & Lemon, Sterling Hallard Bright Drake, American Lawn, Walla Walla Wiffle
  • Robert Sickels
    Producer
  • Rachel Sapper
    Editor
  • Robert Sickels
    Cinematographer
  • Rachel Sapper
    Cinematographer
  • John Allessio
    Key Cast
  • Sydney Butcher
    Key Cast
  • Francesca Chubb-Confer
    Key Cast
  • Jacqueline Erwin
    Key Cast
  • Chérie Grisham
    Key Cast
  • Charles Marr
    Key Cast
  • Tammy Leyendekker
    Key Cast
  • Carlos Muñoz
    Key Cast
  • Barbara Sapper
    Key Cast
  • Jane Sapper
    Key Cast
  • Megan Wick
    Key Cast
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    8 minutes 56 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    January 1, 2025
  • Production Budget:
    2,500 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital (Black Magic Camera)
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Distribution Information
  • Big Whiskey Studios/Robert Sickels
    Distributor
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Robert Sickels

Robert Sickels has been obsessed with movies since he saw Willy Wonka & the Chocolate Factory at a Seattle drive-in when he was three years old. This fixation with all things cinematic ultimately led to his earning a PhD with an emphasis in film studies at the University of Nevada. In addition to being an independent filmmaker specializing in micro-documentary projects that emphasize engaging personal narratives, he is the father of two great kids, a co-parent to a crazy Vizsla with his lovely wife Annie, a prolific writer & editor, a foodie, a semi-professional mixologist, and hopelessly addicted to pop culture.

He has made numerous documentary shorts, all of which were made on a wing and a prayer and have screened widely in the US and abroad, including on PBS and at the Cinequest, St. Louis International, Indie Memphis, IFF Boston, Dallas VideoFest, New Orleans, and Sidewalk Film Festivals.

Since 1999, Sickels has taught Film History and Filmmaking at Whitman College, where he is the Alma Meisnest Endowed Chair of the Humanities and a Professor of Film & Media Studies.

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