The Great American Broadcast

I first began conceptualizing ‘The Great American Broadcast’ as a teenager, after my father was let go from his longtime job. He had done everything right: he was a model citizen and one of his company's most diligent employees, but his newly-diagnosed chronic illness was impacting his job performance. After more than 15 years of loyal service, he was kicked out, shamed, and quickly forgotten by his coworkers. He now lives off of social security benefits and disability insurance that is regularly revoked due to governmental loopholes and bureaucratic pseudo-law. The saddest part of his story, or the most darkly funny part depending how you look at it, is that it's not uncommon.

In this movie, Tommy is dealt a tough hand. He's caught in a cycle that can't be broken by working within its limits. His story is a microcosm of the American experience; he's trapped in a system that hurts his family, works a low-paying job he's overqualified for, and can't escape his little town with nothing there for him. He starts losing hope; and with hopelessness comes a susceptibility for radicalization. My lead actor, Josh Thompson, was a natural fit for a character with so much going on. He navigated the complex, counterintuitive feelings of Tommy with a subtlety I could've never imagined possible to pull off.

Creating this film helped me explore some of the emotional baggage I carry from what happened with my father. It's also given me a better understanding of my generation's apathy. The American Dream was a bright vision of what could be, but the American Reality is more bleak than we like to acknowledge. And if you can't look at that and laugh a little, then what's even the point of it all?