We always describe this story as "sticky." Something about the baskets, the deep woods, the green crystals, and this mysterious family has a way of sticking with you. When I first read Justin's short story, I loved the humor and the teen angst. I related to the isolated and self-sufficient family, and (as with most people) I had a ton of questions. As we explored this story more, we ended up each taking turns writing a short film version of this script, stealing each other's ideas and expanding and contracting the story until the beats hit just right. After 8 scripts, we landed on the one that eventually became the 20-minute short. Justin Lord was and is my closest creative collaborator, and when he asked me to co-direct the project with him, I was beyond honored. I was also thrilled to work with the incredibly kind and talented Director of Photography Graham Skinner and my dear friend and genius first AC, Rebecca Baliko. I also had the unique opportunity of directing my little sister in the lead role. While I initially resisted the idea of casting her, it was so clear that Eliana Moger was right for the part, and working with my own sister on a film that resonated so much with our experience of childhood turned out to be an absolute treasure. Today, this project lives on as Justin works on a feature-length script. Our producer friend Andy Brewster has been teaming up with us to offer his creative insight as we tackle this new version of the story. Taking a brief break from our weekly meetings as Justin prepared for his wedding, we are excited to jump back into our second draft of the 90-minute version of this story.