This Way Out
A middle aged son arrives at his mother’s with a guest and an agenda. What unfolds next explores the nature of truth and the burden of expectations. The ties that bind are thrown awry and Carlotta struggles to cope as best she can.
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Alix Speyer BacherDirector
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Alix Speyer BacherWriter
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Alix Speyer BacherProducer
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Kathryn Graham HowellKey Cast"Carlotta"
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J. Scott WilliamsKey Cast"Julian"
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Lorenzo BonillaKey Cast"Dusty"
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Llewellyn NunezKey Cast"Allegra"
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Project Type:Short, Student, Other
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Runtime:6 minutes 15 seconds
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Completion Date:May 1, 2019
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Production Budget:500 USD
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Country of Origin:United States
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Country of Filming:United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:1960X1080
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:Yes
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ARFF AmsterdamAmsterdam
Netherlands
October 1, 2020
Student selection -
RIFFRidgefield
United States
Selection, Student Film
First time filmmaker and student, doing it all backwards. As a mature student, I have had a career as a producer before returning to school for a Master's degree.
This script was inspired by a close friend who was in the throes of a life altering confession of truth. His close relationship with his conservative mother provided the scaffolding of the story. It was not going to be an easy task ( having lived publicly as a straight male for years), to come out to friends and family in mid-life. It took a great deal of grit, from what I could tell. I also felt the toll that his secret, so long kept, was taking. Years later, I re-imagined how that conversation between he and his mother might have gone. In a culture struggling to come to terms with gender identity we often overlook the excruciating victories that mothers, fathers, brothers, and sisters go through to be seen and be out. As much as the screenplay is about a mother’s journey to compassion, it also celebrates the liberation of authenticity.
Oh.... did I mention, it's funny?