Kim

Kim began as a one-off project for me in January 2012. I had just finished my first semester of film school, and I wanted to challenge myself to write, produce, and direct a short film over my winter break. My dear friend and frequent collaborator David Hanzal gamely agreed to serve as my co-writer and lead performer. What began as an exercise to practice directing actors in dialogue-driven scenes eventually blossomed into a long and fruitful exploration of the character of Dee Dee/Kim.

I am currently finishing the feature-length screenplay, with the goal of going into production in fall of 2019. You can keep up to date on the film by visiting our Facebook page.

Dee Dee is an outsider who longs to feel authentic in their own skin. Feeling overwhelmed and out of place in their hometown of Minneapolis, Dee Dee struggles to find their authentic voice, let alone a strong support network or regular employment. At the start of the film, Dee Dee is lonely, and struggling with their identity as a gender non-conforming individual; they are exhausted by how much they have to “pretend” in order to be accepted by mainstream society. Juggling freelance work and low-paying part-time jobs, they are broke and running out of options.

When a friend hooks Dee Dee up with a job as a nanny out in the suburbs, they make an immediate and deep connection with the baby that they are hired to care for. As time goes on, Dee Dee becomes closer and closer to the entire family, including baby Clara’s mother (Annie) and father (Scott). Dee Dee finds unexpected personal fulfillment while serving as a nanny within this seemingly “picture-perfect” heteronormative suburban home, and goes on to imagine an alternative identity and future. Gradually, Dee Dee begins to experiment in expressing their gender identity by mirroring the appearance and behavior of Annie, and eventually discovers a surprisingly authentic sense of self. Ultimately, Dee Dee’s previous preconceptions of gender identity, relationships, and love are broken, and they emerge from this experience reborn.