Shira Baron

Evicted from his barber shop and living "couch to couch," aspiring rapper Cyrus must grapple with his fraught history with his father and navigate his uncertain future. Cutting Parallel explores the history and relationship of Cyrus, a Latinx barber and aspiring rapper, with his father, Mario, as each navigates life on the fringe. Cyrus seeks to forge his own way in the world; Mario thinks and speaks predominantly about the past and the mistakes he made, chiefly his absence during Cyrus’ childhood. Cyrus, always looking forward, envisions how he might rise above circumstances that parallel his father’s.

At night my Uber driver broke down crying because the previous passenger, a 19 year old sex worker reminded him of his estranged daughter. "Late Shift" explores the dual narrative that exists around sex work. What appears to be an ineluctable tragedy to some is a form of liberation for others. De-stigmatizing sex work is at the forefront of representation in media today. There is a strong push now to empower female and trans folks associated with sex work. Though still, there is pushback. This story reflect the pushback from a father trying to "save" a young stranger.

Mario and Cyrus, father and son, struggle to live together in a truck on Chicago’s west side as they age and grow impatient with each other’s lifestyle. Mario believes Cyrus will reach success as a rapper once he is honest with his friends and children about the reality of his life with his father. Cyrus believes his success as a rapper depends on escaping his life with his father and going on tour. Both men must come to terms with their past and face their present reality in order to prepare for their future.