In an attempt to confront childhood sexual trauma, filmmaker Sarah Hanssen decides to revise the abstract expressionist paintings of her deceased father. The project soon expands to involve collaborations with additional artists, revelations about other women still affected by their relationship with her father, the destruction of a devastating mythology,
SYNOPSIS
Filmmaker Sarah Hanssen finds herself in possession of her deceased father’s abstract expressionist paintings. Growing up in his studio, surrounded by the smells of gin and turpentine, ever-shifting canvases, and a string of young girlfriends, the works contain mixed messages of obsession, secrets, freedom, and selfishness. Something doesn’t feel right about displaying these paintings around her home anymore, as if they are haunted objects, holding her back. After a lifetime of suppression, the time has come to confront the secret of sexual abuse. The filmmaker embarks on a journey to paint in what is missing: the tortured artist, nude women, cigarettes, ashtrays, beer cans, gin bottles, various pets, raucous house guests, and herself. The project soon expands to involve collaborations with additional artists, revelations about other women still affected by their relationship with her father, and the destruction of a devastating mythology and healing through collaborative creative expression. Many of these individuals are sharing their own experiences with trauma along the way.
Director Statement
Making this film is a compulsion, not a desire. This is a film that I had to make. Once I landed on the idea of having artists paint over my father’s paintings I knew that I had to contribute to the project in my own creative way, but I am not a visual artist, I am a filmmaker. So, it followed that I would make a film about this process. I didn’t stop to question this desire as it felt like a natural outcome of my artistic career. Plus, how could I ask others to dig into the process of reframing my childhood trauma if I wasn't willing to do the same? However, it became clear that the film would require me to expose many private things about myself. While this did give me pause, as my natural inclination is to stay behind the camera, not in front of it, I ultimately feel that I am in service of the film and am, therefore, willing to do whatever it takes to complete it.
ABOUT FILMMAKER(S)
Director Sarah Hanssen
Director Sarah Hanssen’s film and video works have shown at festivals, museums and screenings around the world. She received her Masters of Fine Art in film and video at the Massachusetts College of Art. Her work aims to highlight the often overlooked instances of heroism, drama and intimacy within the domestic sphere. In addition to her artwork, she has served on festival juries and worked as a programmer for The Hamptons International Film Festival. After teaching at Pratt Institute for ten years, she is now a professor at CUNY's Bronx Community College. Her writing on film and film education has been published in numerous academic journals including: The Projector: A Journal on Film, Media, and Culture, Community College Journal of Research and Practice, International Journal of Emerging Technologies in Learning (IJET), Journal of Media Education and The Curator. She’s also the mother of three amazing children.
Producer Eliza Licht
Eliza Licht has worked in the documentary field for over 20 years as an impact strategist, producer, and television executive. Her recent producing credits include Hollywood Does Abortion (in Production), consulting producer of Battleground (2022), and co-producer of the 2020 documentary Disclosure. In 2020, she founded the impact and production firm Red Owl. Relevant campaigns include Roll Red Roll (Tribeca 2018), Victim Suspect (Sundance 2022), and Sam Now (2023). Before that, Eliza spent 17 years leading impact campaigns for the PBS documentary series POV.
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