Trona

First and foremost, films are a vehicle to tell a story. I love storytelling in all its variations. Whether it be in the form of the written word, a play, a film or just around a table with friends, I believe in the power of stories. While it’s true they provide us with entertainment, at their best they can stir, move and awaken our minds and hearts. They can expose us to the universal truths of life and living. They can bring a group of strangers together in a dark theater and turn them into a community. We are given the opportunity to laugh, cry and empathize with the characters. But most importantly we are given the chance to connect with our own humanity.

This particular story idea was born from a book I read a few years ago. It was a fictionalized account based on a real situation, when a person was stranded out in the desert during the summer. He was 23 miles away from civilization without any water, and decided to hike in. Through the course of the book he went through the different phases of heat exhaustion, drifting in and out of consciousness, while having conversations with himself. Faced with the real possibility that he would not survive, there was this need for him to say certain things; to achieve a sense of closure.

I thought it would be interesting to explore this theme, but instead of putting one character alone in this situation, we put two people out there. Two brothers, who once were very close, but have lost contact over the last few years. If they were faced by the possibility of not surviving these extreme conditions, what would be said? What truly matters? This is the story of Trona.