Ashes
Sophie and Denise can hardly stand to be in the same room together, but they force themselves to try as long as their mother is there. How will they cope when a chance discovery reveals their mother's decision to die with dignity?
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George DenisonDirector
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George DenisonWriterSeptember 11, 1973
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George DenisonProducerEmma, Desynchronized
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Olivia LeyvaProducerDesynchronized
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Adele BatchelderKey Cast"Carol"
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Edelweiss LavandierKey Cast"Denise"
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Olivia LeyvaKey Cast"Sophie"No Mames!, With Me
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Project Type:Short
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Genres:Drama, Sci-fi
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Runtime:12 minutes 4 seconds
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Completion Date:January 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:1.78:1
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:No
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Student Project:No
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Oaxaca FilmFestOaxaca
Mexico
October 7, 2019
World Premiere
Official Selection -
Rome Film AwardsRome
Italy
November 29, 2019
Official Selection
George K. Denison has been working in film and video production for over a decade. He has led a team of creatives in the corporate world and has held various production crew positions in NY and LA. Based in Brooklyn NY, his focus is on narrative work that explores identity, grief, and the roots of human mythologies found in the natural world. As writer and director, ASHES is his first original narrative short film.
When I began writing ASHES I was thinking a lot about family and how easy it is to take time for granted. I began to wonder about the "Family above all" mentality and imagined a family going through those motions out of a sense of duty. Having moved away from my hometown ten years prior, I observed how conversations with family had grown more superficial and obligated. Many perspectives still seemed to live in the past. In writing this script, I realized more how much I was wrestling with my own sense of duty, and avoiding the guilt of putting my own mental health first. I felt it was important to highlight the value of communication and time in our relationships. While sharing this story with the cast and crew, we realized these feelings weren't uncommon. Often times, our familial relationships are shouldered as a burden to run the clock out on, delaying us from achieving personal growth. Taking time to care for ourselves frees us to be there for each other, if we choose.
ASHES is a thought experiment, exploring the moment a family, similarly stuck in their ways, are thrown into a new realization. How do they channel their losses? Who clings on and who breaks their cycle?