DIRECTOR STATEMENT
This film is an exploration of how generational trauma acts as a cage for young creativity. Growing up, I often felt the crushing weight of being told to inherit and repeat behaviors from the past, even when those behaviors were clearly broken. My hope for this project is to give a voice to that exact feeling—the stifling sensation of having your own identity erased by history. By sharing my personal experiences, I want to show the precise moment a young person realizes that breaking the cycle is the only way to truly create their own future.

DIRECTOR BIO
Charles Stacey (23) is a first-time filmmaker from Southern Maine, graduating with a senior thesis film titled "The Loon" (2026). Previously produced "The Oracle" (2025) and worked on "21st Century Killers" (2025)

Stacey wrote, directed, and produced his first film, "The Loon," while taking the Maine Mayhem film festival class, an annual festival showcasing the work of senior students from Southern Maine Community College’s Communications and New Media Program. Founded in 2011 by instructor Corey Norman and student James Crocco, the festival has grown steadily over the years, consistently selling out the Nickelodeon Cinema.