Thank you, mom
About Thank you, mom
In this narrative short film, the audience peers into the life story of a woman through a series of journal entries. Each entry captures a pivotal moment, as she grows up in the wake of her father's death and her mother's effort to rebuild their lives. As she navigates the emotional landscape of grief, abandonment, and admission, her words come to life and create scenes shaped by both sorrow and hope. From the innocence of childhood to the complexities of adulthood, the film poignantly explores themes of family trauma and self-healing.
Tribeca x Open AI Program
In 2024, Tribeca & SORA commissioned five short films, powered by SORA, to premiere at the Tribeca Festival-- the first time work made by filmmakers with SORA’s headline-grabbing text-to-video tool is showcased publicly.
This initiative aimed to explore the developing space of generative AI as a creative tool by empowering filmmakers to engage with the tool on their own terms and exhibit their work within the festival environment. A curated group of filmmakers from Tribeca’s network of alumni and the broader filmmaking community were trained in the SORA platform and given access to its tools, tips, and best practices. They had unrestricted access to the platform to create a short piece of work (1-3 minutes long), which were exhibited at a theatrical premiere event during Tribeca festival in June. Filmmakers have full creative control and retain the rights to their completed project.
About the Process
My past projects span from virtual reality experiences to digital installations. This is one of my first times directing and creating a traditional narrative short film and during the rapid three-week production of Thank you, mom, me and my international team of animators, artists, and technologists utilized Open AI’s SORA as a tool in a our production pipeline alongside other platforms such as Photoshop, ProCreate, and Premiere. Inspired by A.I. prompts as a creative metaphor the film’s score composer, and sound designer built multiple score cues from a stream-of-consciousness improv, and our voice over talent has been a featured in past virtual reality animations that I have directed.
Director’s Statement
Thank you, mom is a deeply personal and introspective narrative short film that draws on my own life experiences. The film invites the audience to witness the life story of a woman through her journal entries, capturing pivotal moments that have shaped her from childhood to adulthood. These entries explore my profound experience of growing up in the aftermath of not only my father's death but also my mother's effort to rebuild our lives. For me, overcoming family trauma is an internal path of self-acceptance and self-realization. While creating this project, I explored the raw emotional landscapes of grief, abandonment, and the quest for acceptance from the perspective of myself as a young girl, a teenager, and now an adult.
Thank you, mom is a tribute to the profound bond between mother and daughter and my personal journey of healing that same bond. It is a story that speaks to anyone who has navigated complex family dynamics, and I hope this film encourages viewers to reflect on their own relationships with their chosen family.
Role: Director, Co-Writer, Producer, & Editor
