"UNBELIEF" — 2003

In the summer of 2002, I saw M. Night Shyamalan's "Signs." And was, again, very inspired. I thought that was one of the greatest movies ever. I still do. In that same summer I also saw "Dawn of the Dead" and "Night of the Living Dead," and very much wanted to do something like that. So, all the movies converged into a story I wrote about a doctor afflicted with cancer, who must face the fact that his small town is being invaded by vampires.

You can trace the inspirations how you want.

It was the first time in my life I was engaged in a long, very long term project, without the aide of school or parents. The movie very much reflected my mood in making it. Pensive, foreboding. Not only was I inspired by the themes in "Signs," I was inspired a lot, by what I was feeling as a person. The character in the movie doesn't want to deal with the reality of himself, the limited time he has left, and the unfolding situation of the undead slowly taking over everyone around him.

Twist of the movie (and stop reading if you haven't seen it)—he's been a vampire the entire time. His lack of belief hid the truth from him. Now that I look at it, I'm pretty sure I just switched "faith" a la "Signs" with the word "belief."

Never the less, this was a difficult movie to make—not just because of myself, but because of how long it took. So, I have a lot of fondness for it. And a lot of nostalgia. Because while the making of it was dark, long—the wrapping of it was uplifting, hopeful, and renewing. I finished it as a sophomore in high school, and I have nothing but fond memories of putting the finishing touches on it. The experience taught me how life-changing finishing a long-form can be. It prepared me for the more difficult shoots in years ahead.

The reception of the movie itself was kind of a wash. I rememeber the one screening—the DVD started skipping right before the big twist, and so there was this interruption, and everyone got a chance to really feel how bored they were. I didn't show it anymore after that and just quietly moved onto my next project.