Composing Our Stories

"Composing Our Stories" is a short documentary student film following an orchestral composer and his approach to connecting human sentiment with music through a unique form of storytelling.

  • Zoe Kissel
    A Film by
  • Christian Kolo
    Stories Told by
  • Christian Kolo
    Music Composer
  • Dylan Kissel
    Sound Editor and Re-Recording Mixer
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short, Student
  • Genres:
    Documentary, Music, Biography, Storytelling, Student, Short
  • Runtime:
    35 minutes 19 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    July 7, 2017
  • Production Budget:
    0 USD
  • Country of Origin:
    United States
  • Country of Filming:
    United States
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    16:9
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    Yes
  • Student Project:
    Yes
  • Accolade Global Film Competition

    Award of Recognition for Documentary Short (Student)
  • Impact Docs Awards

    Award of Recognition for Documentary Short (Student)
Director Biography

Zoë Kissel is an East Lansing-based Filmmaker, Artist, and Musician.

Originally from a small town south of Detroit, Zoë now lives in East Lansing, Michigan where she attends Michigan State University and is pursuing a Bachelor of Arts degree in Media and Information with a concentration in Film and Media Production, a Second Bachelor of Arts in Film Studies, and a minor in Documentary Production.

Zoë is the Studio Director and Co-Creator of Broken Jaw Studios, a true multi-media production/post-production company located in the Detroit area, as well as a Co-Creator of Silver Saucer Productions and DIYphonic Sound. She also functions as the vocalist, guitarist, and co-writer for her Detroit-based garage/surf/punk project Sidewatcher.

Zoë completed her first documentary film, Composing Our Stories, in July 2017. Through the evolution of Composing Our Stories, Zoë has discovered her love for directing and editing. The honor of giving a voice to those who deserve to be heard and the opportunity to tell a story that post-production presents is her passion in filmmaking.

She is currently in post-production her next film Juice, a neo-noir sci-fi short film, as well as writing the screenplay for the upcoming film Venus 1.

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Filming "Composing Our Stories" was a thrill. Having the opportunity to be able to share such an imaginative and successful person's mind with the world is an eye-opening experience. After watching the film and hearing Christian's stories, I hope that the audience is inspired to dream, create, and love a little bit more.