On a quiet night in a roadside bar, egos and alcohol ignite – sending two friends on a path toward a violent showdown that could forever change both of their lives.

‘One Way or Another’ is a short narrative drama based on true events. It’s about a night in the lives of three men – Marvin, Rook and Duane.

Duane is the nice guy.
He’s traveling the country alone on his motorcycle, looking for adventure. Unfortunately, he may not fully understand the dangers he might face out on the road.

Rook is a life-hardened biker.
He’s angry at the world and only gets angrier when he drinks. Which he does. A lot. Most days, it’s here in his local roadside bar, with the small group of people he likes and trusts. He’s not the type to casually welcome in a stranger.

Marvin is a young man carrying the weight of hard years. He just wants to enjoy a few beers after a long day.

Our film follows what happens with these men when they find themselves in a bar together on a cold night… when alcohol and bad ideas are flowing in equal measure.

Director’s Statement

‘One Way or Another’ is a project born from love and pain. It’s a true story based on a night my father lived through in the late sixties. Dad was a storyteller… and he had many wild ones to tell. After he passed away suddenly from a heart attack in 2016, I decided to tell one of his stories in my own way. I wrote the film while in a wheelchair, recovering from serious injuries after crashing his motorcycle the day after his funeral.

The film was shot entirely in western Washington State. Just outside of Seattle. But it’s meant to look and feel like it could have taken place in any of the thousands of watering holes that dot the highways of middle America.

The story explores elements of the human experience in those places – specifically tribalism, social structure, and class identity… with a healthy (or not so healthy) dose of alcoholism, violence, and toxic masculinity mixed in.