About this submission

This script was written by a dear friend who suffers from Cor triatriatum and has a mechanical mitral valve with a life expectancy of 45 years. His entire life he’s grappled with suicide, searching for control of whatever life he has left. Similarly, my dad has neglected his health throughout his life. I’ve resented him for years and struggled to be in the same room with him, fearing that every time I see him will be the last. This film gave me the opportunity to validate my experience and accept that everyone’s life is their own to decide.

Haley Nicole Johnson

Creator

Haley Nicole Johnson grew up as a competitive contemporary dancer in South Florida. In 2017, she moved to Los Angeles to pursue dance at Hussian College. After volunteering as a PA on one student set, she fell in love with the art form and became a film major. In 2018, she began working professionally as a PA on major productions such as The Goldbergs, 9-1-1 and The Gray Man while maintaining full-time student status. Eight months post graduation, Haley created her production company, Under the Shell. The company aims to ethically create elite, empathetic content to inspire an inclusive world. Since its creation, the company has created music videos for Chandler Leighton, Medium Build, and Conner Cherland. Haley always looks for places to incorporate dance into her work and loves to create work that is not limited by language. Haley is just as passionate about traditional narrative filmmaking but still challenges herself to use as few words as possible in her storytelling. more...