Heart to He(art) - A Senior Thesis Short Film

About the Director:

This project has been a reflection of my most difficult challenges. An inner reflection of the anxieties and fears, along with years of unshed sadness. A part of myself holding onto this heaviness in my heart. I felt it was only right to relinquish it, to truly set myself free.

Love is something that I’ve always found to consume me. As a gay kid, who never really had many friends, or normal dating experiences. I felt pressure to confine myself to a culture, especially at a very young age, where it was pressed on me.

This story is an homage to my younger self, as a reminder that love is a beautiful thing. The grief that comes with it, is only a byproduct of love that has nowhere to go. This story is a bittersweet culmination of love and loss. Though, giving hope in the remembrance of what once was.

About the Film:

Heart to He(art) is a reminder of the importance of connection and love, especially for the bonds we form with those closest to our hearts. That every connection is imperfect. This story is to show that you do not have to be perfect to be loved. Those imperfections are the things themselves that make a connection so special, that it becomes something as beautiful as its own piece of art.

Heart to He(art)

An ironic chance of fate reunites two past lovers, Leo and Rion, as they rekindle the lost times from their past and present. Though, they soon begin to realize their emotions and feelings from the past have still lingered on. Though, their lives have grown more than lifetimes apart.

Leo:

Leo is engaged to his Fiancé, though after another time being stood up once again. He keeps his composure, though down inside he has anxiety about the future. As he plans to leave and go home after being stood up, he runs into a special person from his past. Rion, an old boyfriend from college. He is forced to battle with his feelings from the past, and face the light of the reality he lives in today.

Rion:

A well established painter, who made big sacrifices for the career he has today. However, one evening, as he returns to the city where he went to college for an art gallery debut, he bumps into his old boyfriend, Leo, from college at a bar. He convinces him to stay and have a drink, which divulges into an evening of reminiscing. Rion is forced to acknowledge his feelings from the past, while figuring out if his old lover feels the same way.

Heart to He(art) is a non-traditional love story, where real life has pulled two characters apart, and brought them back together. The circumstances make you question–is that love, we once shared with someone, ever really gone, or does it stay with us forever? Does it leave a lasting impact like a scar, or as a beacon of hope that there’s more love out there?

Donations:

The funds will be going towards the full production of the film including:

Locations

Set Design

Equipment Rentals

Costume Design

Meals for cast and crew

Safety Protocols

This is my first big undertaking as a director. This story has become something that is near and dear to my heart, and the community that I am a part of. I want to be able to take this story, and share it with YOU! Any and all donations mean the world! It's something my crew and I will be forever thankful for. Your support truly means more than words!

-Brayden Harris, Director