The Desiring
The doors are closed. There are no more screenings of this film.
Synopsis: A Southern Gothic tale — Richard views himself a typical American who works hard and loves his wife, Claire. However, when he discovers her with another man, he finds himself increasingly attracted by the affair. His curiosity triggers conflicting emotions, uprooting assumptions from the past. As he falls deeper down the rabbit hole, he wrestles with the resentment he harbors toward his father and begins to awaken his capacity for longing and yearn for the love he’s never experienced.
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Starring
Suzanne Lenz (Claire)
Don DiPetta (Eric)
Randy Spence (John)
Treas Ross (Young Richard)
Directed by
Edited by
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Director's Statement
What attracted me to Graham’s script was the vulnerability of Richard, as he struggles to “see his wife”, in large measure because of the symbolic order he inherited from his father.
The Desiring explores how these flawed narratives prevent our hero from engaging in a deeper and more satisfying relationship with his partner and continue to color his memory of his father.
His dad’s plight added another layer of intrigue, seeking the sublime but tragically allowing that desire to negate the reality of a young son that yearned for his love and attention.
What we are left with then is a fractured human being who is struggling to navigate what it means to be authentically loving toward another.
The hero’s struggle in the film, is inspired by Iris Murdoch’s idea of a “loving gaze”, the difficult task of attending to one another through a desire that is purified of selfish projection, that wants nothing but the other as she truly is, in all her devastating and wonderful separateness.
Director's Bio
I’m a storyteller at heart and I want to make the world a better place. I believe that by encouraging young diverse voices, equality, compassion, innovation and responsible stewardship of our planet we can achieve this goal.
I’ve been a teacher for over two decades now and I revel in inspiring others to achieve their dreams. I love the outdoors, biking, hiking, swimming and surfing and I want to ensure that future generations get to enjoy the infinite splendors of our beloved planet.
I joined my first film club in Cape Town, South Africa at ten years of age. At the time I wanted to become a race car engineer like my father’s classmate Gordan Murray, but I quickly found a home in the collaborative synergy of film making.
After completing my Masters in film at the University of British Columbia in Canada, I entered a few art house films in festivals around the world. I was fortunate to receive some praise and awards with screenings in Toronto and a Leo award for directing Once Upon a Time On a Beach, a film inspired by Jacques Lacan and Sergio Leone.
My professional career has spanned many disciplines from mountain biking and snowboarding video game-producing to live action and motion capture cinematography, editing, and directing for titles such as Deus Ex, Dungeon and Dragons, and Star Wars Uprising.
I’ve always remained active in academia teaching courses in production, film theory, and history. I live in beautiful Los Angeles and thoroughly enjoy the adventure of life.