Our Casualties
The Spirit of Death narrates visiting a 16-year-old girl dealing with self-worth issues related to an eating disorder and substance abuse and bullying,
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Kent KrogmanDirector
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Ella McNamaraWriter
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Kent KrogmanProducer
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Janifer JoelProducer
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Aimee KloeppelKey Cast
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Craig A. JerewPhotograher & Videographer
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Lanna KrogmanNarrator
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Craig A. JerewOriginal Music
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Kent KrogmanOriginal Music
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Craig A. JerewEditing
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Project Type:Experimental, Short, Other
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Runtime:14 minutes 58 seconds
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Completion Date:November 27, 2024
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Production Budget:10,000 USD
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Country of Origin:United States, United States
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Country of Filming:United States, United States
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Language:English
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Shooting Format:Digital
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Aspect Ratio:16:9
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Film Color:Color
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First-time Filmmaker:Yes
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Student Project:No
Kent Krogman
Producer/Director
I was born and raised in the farm country of mid-western Ohio. Music and sports played a significant role in my upbringing, but I decided to become an English teacher and guidance counselor, and for forty years I worked with high school students in those capacities. I was also fortunate to be involved in directing several plays during that time. It was during the summer of 2022 when I decided to make a short film based on a story a former student of mine (Ella McNamara) had written a few years earlier. So I bought a Sigma FP and a new computer and…here’s where we are.
When I was teaching English at Lima Central Catholic High School around 2013, a student of mine (Ella McNamara) wrote an amazing short story about Death (personified) visiting a 16 year old girl dealing with self-worth issues related to bullying, cutting, and an eating disorder. A few years later I decided I would try to make a short film based on Ella’s story. Having spent forty years working with teenagers, I felt somewhat qualified to address the kinds of things Ella captured in her writing.
I think this film can be a catalyst for discussion in a variety of contexts and on a number of different platforms. What can we do to help some of our youth (or anyone for that matter) feel better about themselves and avoid making terrible decisions? As Ella writes, “I can see ahead…spring breaks and new favorite TV shows and coffee-flavored mornings. She can’t see the ‘someones’ she hasn’t met, wondering what it would be like to know her.’
FAQs
Q: Why did you use other people’s artwork/photographs in your film?
A: Simply because the stills and some videos of other people’s work that we used in the film were better than anything our team could have created. I’m happy to showcase the work of others if it contributes to the overall effect we’re trying to capture.
Q: Unlike most films, Our Casualties is entirely narrated. Is there a risk to producing that kind of film?
A: Absolutely. As I write the answer to this question, I have absolutely no idea how well this concept will be accepted. Our actress Aimee Kloeppel had a non-speaking role in the production. The entire film is narrated by my sister Lanna Krogman. McNamara’s narrative is so well written that I thought from the very beginning that all I can do as filmmaker is screw it up. The writing is the foundation of the film.
Q: Some people may think your film’s subject matter (teenage mental health, eating disorders, bullying, cutting, suicide) is too ‘dark.’ How do you respond to that?
A: I can’t say it isn’t dark. Anytime you address those issues, you run the risk of alienating some of your potential audience. I think we’ve done a really tasteful job of adding visuals to words. There is nothing grotesque or bizarre about the imagery or language in the film. The idea of Death (personified) visiting a teenaged girl is on-the-edge stuff. I mean it could go either way, right? We could knock one out of the park or go down swinging. We’ve done everything we can to avoid the latter.
My hope is that teenagers and parents see the film and walk away from it with a renewed interest in bettering themselves and the lives of their loved ones. Yep, the film is somewhat dark, but embedded in the story are rays of light, aspects of our lives we often ignore or take for granted. McNamara’s writing gives us hope that we can do better.
Ella McNamara's Bio:
Ella grew up in Lima, Ohio and attended Lima Central Catholic High School before earning her Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing at The Ohio State University. After employment at various hospitals during the pandemic, Ella was accepted into the MSN/NP-PHD program at the University of Pennsylvania.
Ella has also authored two books of poetry: "Drumbeat For The Mending" and "Pieces Of Dawn".