A short film A Million Eyes was an Honorable Mention at the HolyShorts Film Festival. And now it’s taking part in the 27th Raindance Film Festival in an International Short Film Strand. It tells a story of Leroy, a multicultural teenager who loves taking photos but is scared of following his passion. The struggles of life in a tough suburb, compounded by his mother’s alcoholism, create panic and doubt in Leroy. Slowly navigating through the labyrinths of life, the only solace that he can find is in his room surrounded by walls covered with photographs collected from books and newspapers.
Leroy gets caught cutting photos from the books of a public library and is taken to jail, where get a chance to meet Pyro. Pyro was an artist and encouraged the young photographer to find his muse and not give up on it all. Almost as if he heard boy’s call for guidance Fern, an old neighbor with a huge love for photography enters the scene and becomes his mentor, teaching him how to develop film in a dark room and how to find his own “truth” with the camera. The connection between Leroy and Fern shows how
“A Million Eyes speaks to the importance of mentors in young children’s lives, especially those discovering their own artistic voices. It reports the significance that arts education can have on kids, especially in underfunded communities and celebrates the importance of often-overlooked voices”,
as stated by Director Richard Raymond.
Leroy had a lack of positive parental figures in his life. However, meeting Pyro and then Fern teaches and encourages him to fight with his fears and to not give up on his passions. It just emphasizes, one more time, the importance of the relationship between people. As well as the importance of mentorship to youth and how it can affect their lives. Together with Leroy the viewer experience the life that he lives and tries to find beauty in the simples things. The short film directed by British filmmaker Richard Raymond and written by Curt Zacharias Jr. Produced by Erin Charles, Nousha Raymond, Richard Raymond, and Josh Reinhold, the short stars Elijah M. Cooper as Leroy, his debut film role, with Joe Morton (Fern), Katie Lowes (Amber) and Shareef Salahuddin (Pyro).
Have a look at the trailer
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Have a look at some of our previous posts:
Interview: Director Kenneth Mercken of hard-hitting cycling drama The Racer
Review: Raindance Opening Night Gala – Krow’s TRANSformation
Review: Series ‘Cuba in a Bottle’
