After the one-year anniversary of their mother’s death, Stevie and Julia must spread her ashes. They go to the field that their mother took them to as children to cloud watch. on arrival, Stevie is forced to confront her confusing feelings about her mother’s death. Stevie picks a fight with Julia because she realizes she is Jealous of the relationship that Julia got to with her mom. When Stevie eventually gives in to her feelings of sadness, the sisters leave the field with an understanding of the other’s pain.
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Director Statement
I have always been someone who copes with life by making up and visualizing scenes and stories in my head. From the minute I had consciousness I had a camera in my hands. As a kid, I had more surgeries than anyone I know, so I spent a lot of time in bed watching movies and tv, and it become my safe place. I could talk to my mom and dad about how amazing the light in a scene from my favorite movie was or completely lose myself in the world that was created in front of me. Movies and tv helped me deal with a lot.
Greener Pastures is no different. As I was going to sleep one summer night after my dad called me to tell me to prepare myself for my mother's likely death, I saw a scene of two siblings in a field. They sat in a wood-paneled SUV with their mother's ashes in a silver box strapped to the roof with pink and green biker cables. The field was rich with tall green grass. They picked it because it was their mother's favorite. The siblings were not me and mine but they were strangers.
Stevie and Julia are both conversations that I was having with myself during this time. Part of me was mad at my mother for getting sick at all and the other was mad at her for almost dying.
I have always seen movie in my head but this is the first time it has become something that I can watch and show to other people.
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