Filmmaker Statement

Our original plan with “Finding Our Wild” was to shine a light on the untold stories of immigrants in the American Outdoors through the lens of Sid’s father, an avid outdoorsman. The plan was simple - drive around a few national parks together and talk about what it was like being a brown man in white spaces. But once we started filming, it became clear that we were excavating tender, unspoken feelings. So, we shifted focus, and we ended up making a film about aging, fatherhood, and memory. About what it means to watch those you love lose the ability to do the activities they love. About what it means to see your best and worst traits live on from generation to generation. About what it means to confront the hazy golds of memory and the stark blues of the mirror. With the support and funding of REI Co-Op, we have been able to work with incredible collaborators, such as Tiny Desk Concert alum Yasmin Williams, to bring this story to life. It’s been the experience of a lifetime.