‘Nuts’, feature

Written & Directed by Sara Friedman

Logline: After the accidental death of her one-night stand partner, a young therapist becomes entangled with his grieving family and finds herself drawn to his charismatic half-brother.

Director’s Statement: Nuts utilizes one of my favorite frameworks: comedy as a Trojan horse for a more serious discussion - in this case, the examination of grief. Humor from the absurd situations Marcie finds herself in coupled with the warm delight we get from a rom-com come together as an approachable in-point for reflection on a subject that is still somewhat taboo. We are becoming more open to discussing mental health and grief, and the success of media like Shrinking and Fleabag shows us that audiences can laugh one moment and wrestle with larger questions about humanity and empathy the next. I also believe that the rom-com should not be underestimated as a powerful tool to point us towards love in a time of division and hatred. As a filmmaker, I am passionate about gender equity and representing a diverse group of lived experiences amongst cast and crew.

Two years ago, I lost my amazing father. Not a day goes by where I don’t experience the full gamut of emotions surrounding his passing. Nuts is my way of making sense of that process, while hopefully letting people know they aren’t alone. We feel grief the strongest when we have loved the strongest, and what a gift it is to have loved at all.

MATERIALS AVAILABLE UPON REQUEST.