Daffodils

Abstract Daffodils is a 19-minute narrative comedy about two estranged siblings who reconnect over the course of a robbery-gone-wrong. When Martha falls into heavy debt following a break-up, she tricks her brother Frank, a reformed criminal-turned-locksmith, into helping her break into her ex-boyfriends house to steal a precious family heirloom. As Frank uncovers the depth of his sisters financial and emotional troubles, he must reckon with the limits of his sibling loyalty.

The film projects comedy as a legitimate variation on the dramatic form, one that can be at once hilarious and heartfelt. Unlike the looser improvisational hangout comedies popularized in the mid-2000s, I wanted Daffodils to employ a more formal technique akin to the precise and meticulous works of filmmakers like Billy Wilder and Edgar Wright. Their films exhibit a distinct rhythm that is both comedic and incredibly cinematic. While I certainly dont wish to mimic their styles, I look to their oeuvre as a roadmap for finding my own.

As much as it is a technical exercise in the craft of farcical comedy, Daffodils is also a deeply personal exploration of loyalty, responsibility, and the redemptive power of family. Through the prism of a comically absurd situation, I wanted to reflect on my own insecurities relating to wealth and success, as well as my own limitations as an artist and a person. Ultimately, this film is meant to entertain, yet I hope it also speaks to a deeper truth about the efforts we must undertake in order to maintain the meaningful connections in our lives.