Abasement, Directed by John Washburn (New York) - A man alienated from his life is stalked by shadowy creatures who try to lure him into the abyss. Like many filmmakers, I’m drawn to genre as a lens to tell human stories from outside of conventional experience. I made this film because I wanted to cinematically express the visceral feeling of rudderless terror that seems to define so much about “adulting.” I was interested in exploring how our protagonist, played by the brilliant and fearless Sam Breslin Wright (Madam Secretary, The Beaver, Rescue Me), is probably well-intentioned, but his illusion of choice and control evaporates as he is lured into an abyss by foggy shadows. At the center of the movie he stares down his reflection as a slightly banal person who’s life has passed him by. There’s something poignant about that private moment, especially knowing that he is not really alone and also suspecting what will befall him.
