Synopsis: It’s 1993, and high school Language Arts teacher Charles Marlow, (Ashley Zukerman) has spent decades shrinking from life, hiding from the failures that have trailed him. When his student, Romy, (Aishe Keita) proposes a photojournalism project documenting collaborations between autistic youth and senior dementia patients, Charles tailspins into his past, and through a series of interlocking timelines, confronts the errors of his youth. In a 1962 Seattle classroom, young Charles (Elliott Smith) befriends an autistic child, Dana (Lincoln Lambert), with shocking consequences. In the 1980s, Charles and his wife Alison (Sarah Shahi) struggle to comprehend their own child’s autism.
In Language Arts …
High school English teacher Charles Marlow (Ashley Zukerman; Young Charles, Elliott Smith) has spent decades shrinking from life, hiding away from the disappointments that have trailed him; regretful over a profound tragedy in his past.
When one of his students, Romy (Aishe Keita), proposes a photojournalism project documenting collaborations between autistic youth and senior dementia patients, Charles tailspins into the past, confronting the mistakes of his youth and struggling to reconnect with his own autistic son, Cody (Kieran Walton) and his ex-wife, Allison (Sarah Shahi). Their marriage shattered from the stress of raising a special needs child and Charles’ inability to reveal himself.
As Charles remembers an unlikely friendship with a boy in a white suit (Lincoln Lambert as Dana), who inscribed his troubled childhood with both solace and sorrow, he is forced to confront the actions and inactions that have shaped his life. Will Charles be able to release the regrets of his past in time to be a part of his family’s future?
- Release Date: 09/07/2021
- Directed by: Cornelia Duryée
- Cast: Ashley Zukerman, Sarah Shahi, Elliott Smith, Lincoln Lambert, Erin Cummings, Mariana Klaveno, Jane Ryan, Suzanne Bouchard, Kevin Alejandro, Pamela Reed, Lucas Oktay, Kieran Walton, Basil Harris, Aishe Keita, Peyton Pich, Brandon Oke, Sneha Mathan, Sylvia Sakellaridis, Susan Corzatte, Marianne Owen, Leslie Law, Emilie Rommel Shimkus, Anne Allgood, Khanh Doan, Te Yelland, Henry DiStefano, Victor Pappas, James Clark, Bill Johns, Devyn Grendell, Ryan Rosenberg, Terry Edward Moore, Mickey Rowe, John Patrick Lowrie, Alex Garnett, Changer Gonzalez, Carol Roscoe, Angela DiMarco, Dedra Woods
Now, as his student confronts the reality of working with neuro-diverse people, Charles sets about repairing his own story.
Inspired by his student’s art, Charles learns to see the world around him anew, to make peace with the past, and to incorporate new ways of listening and connecting with the people he loves.
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About Us: Gravitas Ventures is a worldwide film distributor & collaborator with thousands of independent artists. Past films include Sound City, Armstrong, Above The Shadows, The River and the Wall, and many more. Gravitas Ventures is a Red Arrow Studios company.
