In an attempt to ignore a recent loss, Jazmine searches for a sweet treat.

Director’s Vision for ‘Are You Still Here’

Are You Still Here was born out of my desire to create a short that focused on a single therapy session. Through that lens, I wanted to explore the idea of the different ways people deal with loss, and how it can have an impact on our memory of certain events. To me, there’s something very nostalgic about the beach (specifically waves) and I tried combing that feeling into the way my film plays with memory.

When writing the script for this film, I realized that by treating the therapy session as a monologue, it would allow the main character to go on her own physical journey that parallels the conversation she’s having with her therapist. In doing so, it allowed me to move the short out of a single location and have the opportunity to showcase different parts of New York City.

In creating this film, I had lots of conversations with different people about what the best way to grieve was for them. But when we lose someone, we have to process our grief in whatever way is best for us. Whether that be by attending a funeral, or in the case of Jazmine, by buying a honey bun and eating at it the beach, recreating a year’s old family ritual.