Hermit Day is a reflection of my love for sound design and surreal storytelling. It is an exploration of memories, thoughts, anxieties, dreams, and meditations during a time of isolation. In June of 2020, I was staying alone in upstate New York. The washing machine and dishwasher were both running and their cycles happened to stop at the same time, leaving a void of almost pure silence. At first l felt significantly more alone, but then I realized the void had created space for me to notice other sounds and details around the cabin. This gave me the initial idea for Hermit Day. 

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I knew I wanted to make a film that prioritized the safety of the cast and crew, so I started to consider how the set design could accomplish this. My producing partner Lucas Branin built a row of three rooms. This way we could film three actors separated by walls, and then redress the rooms for the other three actors. As I continued to think about the production design of the film, I knew I wanted the furniture to look like one uniform collection that stood out against the cream walls. Seven years ago, I visited an interactive art experience in Santa Fe, New Mexico called Meow Wolf’s “The House of Eternal Return.” One room was a cartoonish kitchen with white furniture outlined in black on top of a checkered floor. I remember walking in and feeling like I had entered a different dimension: a surreal dollhouse. This memory resurfaced and inspired my vision for the furniture in Hermit Day. 

My hope is that audience members engage with this film in a way that is personal to them: whether that involves drawing connections to their own experiences or sitting with some questions afterwards. Hermit Day is meant to be felt more than understood. However it is received, I’m eager to connect with audience members and other filmmakers, and to keep on creating.