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| Looking Back |
Texas Premiere |
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Over a black screen, we hear an alarm clock and a deep, scratchy voice grumbling gently. A man appears, getting out of bed. As we see him go through his morning routine, getting dressed in front of a mirror, we hear him explain his situation: 'right now, I live in a treatment center for homeless veterans. I've been in and out of here three times; drinking and drugging, then coming right back.' Cut to a photograph of the same man blowing smoke from his mouth. His face looks strained and we see the veins in his neck; the man is in bad shape. 'That's me when I first got here.' We see him grab a digital camera, and he takes a self-portrait in the mirror. The man in the mirror is Albert Lewis. Like many in his community at the Irvin Goodwin Center for Homeless Veterans, he struggles with addiction and with his memories of war. In this community, veterans understand and support one another. For Albert, taking photographs is a way to appreciate others and to be appreciated himself. In this short film, we follow Albert as he photographs his companions and revisits the places he used to live when he was down-and-out. The film portrays a group of people struggling to keep their lives together, even as they are haunted by memories of horrible experiences. As Albert says: 'I hope I never stop looking back, but I never want to go back to where I used to be.' |
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Directed By: Emile Bokaer