Private Project

Under the Bridge

Cedar Valley — the picturesque rural town just an hour from Toronto — appears to be an idyllic setting to grow up. Michelle Caravantes guides us on a tour of the community and meaningful spots from her childhood. While she longs for the places that bring her back to the time she spent with Sarah, her best friend, other places she cannot get away from due to her complex-PTSD. Over 40 years later, Michelle, now trying to write a memoir, begins the process of publicly sharing her story of trauma and recovery.

  • Cullen McFater
    Director
  • Cullen McFater
    Producer
  • Evan Gareth Hoffman
    Producer
  • Michelle Caravantes
    Producer
  • Michelle Caravantes
    Featuring
  • Cullen McFater
    Cinematography
  • Evan Gareth Hoffman
    Editor
  • Evan Gareth Hoffman
    Sound Design
  • Project Type:
    Documentary, Short
  • Runtime:
    21 minutes 1 second
  • Completion Date:
    December 4, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Canada
  • Country of Filming:
    Canada
  • Language:
    English
  • Shooting Format:
    Digital
  • Aspect Ratio:
    1.85
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
Director Biography - Cullen McFater

Cullen McFater is an award-winning Canadian director and founder of Postromo Pictures, with over twenty films to his credit. At 22, he wrote and directed his debut feature film Daylight Again, followed by the experimental feature Human Nature, shot across 18 countries from 2022 to 2024. A versatile filmmaker, McFater also works as a cinematographer, camera operator, and actor, with credits including Ethan Eng’s Therapy Dogs (2022) and Guillermo Del Toro’s Frankenstein (2025).

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

Under the Bridge’s focus is on PTSD and the human toll of a lifelong struggle, told through the experiences of Michelle Caravantes. It was vital that Michelle’s words be unscripted and true to her emotions during the visit to key locations from her childhood. The film makes no use of stock footage, medical studies, or factoids and instead relies entirely on Michelle and her retelling of the trauma she went through to bring the viewer, if only for a brief time, into the life of someone who deals with the mental scars of abuse each day.

Statement from Michelle Caravantes:
The filming and making of Under the Bridge was an experience that I will never forget and one that was both cathartic and therapeutic to me. People talk about “Mental Health” but rarely is there a realistic portrayal of what it means to feel so “other”. I was as much a producer, as I was subject matter in this film and am very proud of how Cullen and Evan handled the subject matter and how kind and understanding they both were while we filmed. Since then there is a bond that cannot be broken between the three of us. We will continue to work on other projects as well, considering the relationship we have built through this process. Please consider showing this work. I understand it is very real and raw, however, I think it is also a very beautiful piece about the strength of the human spirit.