Synopsis

By A Thread is a film that chronicles the hero’s frustrating journey through a bustling city. Characterized by short interactions with a variety of characters and a soaring moment of release, the piece juxtaposes the harsh reality of the world with the magical expanse of the main character’s mind. In their head, they use their art form, performative puppetry, to process and wrangle with their experience. From the lowest lows to the highest highs, every moment is reflected in their mind’s eye.Over the course of the film the hero is forced to grapple with their sense of self worth, the value of their artistry, and the specifics of their identity as they are denied, demeaned, and ultimately uplifted by a variety of Strangers in the world around them.

Film Stills

Director's Note

By Jordan Tragash

As a depiction of a puppeteer’s relentless search for community
through mishap and misfortune
this film is a journey:through an uncaring world and a restless city,
through self doubt and self discovery,
through art and reflection,
and ultimately through self,
but arriving in a place of hope.Hope for what comes next.Join us on the journey.

Behind the Scenes

Cast & Crew

Jordan Tragash
Director & Executive Producer
He/Him/His

Jordan is a Queer Chicago based Artist and Filmmaker. His most recent project, Neighbors was featured on Chicago Made Shorts and is currently the most viewed piece on the platform. Jordan is in pre-production for the short film Fresh Cut Flowers which he is co-directing with his producing partner, Imani Davis. He is a company member at Eclipse Theater and Facility Theatre, as well as a part of The Hotel Collective, a Chicago-based work group. He attended Wesleyan University (CT) for undergrad.

Imani Davis
Producer
She/Her/Hers

Imani Davis is a Chicago-based film producer, and strategist. She has a background in cinema history and theory, and believes that film has the power to create critical conversations and educate the masses on pressing societal issues. Imani is also an emergent film scholar, curator, and critic, with a devoted interest in all things cinema. She is passionate about making the untold stories of our world come to life, ensuring high quality, accessibility, and diversity throughout the process.

Jamie Kreppein
Co-Writer & Assistant Producer
She/Her/Hers

Jamie is a theatre and filmmaker from Gurnee, Illinois and currently based in Chicago, Illinois. She finds joy in building community through art, and is proud to lead Hotel Collective, a network for emerging artists, as well as serve as company manager for Facility Theatre. Jamie is a director, writer, producer, and educator with several projects currently in development.

Tuxford Turner
Director of Photography & Co-Writer
All Pronouns

Tuxford is an actor, writer, and filmmaker based out of Chicago, IL. They specialize in stories that build community through laughter and representation.

Zoe Savransky
Actor: Subject
She/Her/Hers & They/Them/Theirs

Zoe Savransky is an advanced actor combatant from Cleveland, Ohio currently thriving in Chicago.

Willis Stark Weinstein
Assistant Director & Assistant Gaffer
She/Her/Hers & They/Them/Theirs

Willis Weinstein is a director, actor, writer and producer hailing from Chicago, IL. She graduated Wesleyan University with a Philosophy degree, using the skills she honed to make earnest and thoughtful films and theater that are inspired by heartfelt conversation, introspection, transformation and personal growth.

Pete Berwick
Actor: Uber Driver
He/Him/His

From the Chicago area, Pete's a full-time professional actor, with almost half a century of experience in film, television, comedy, songwriting and music recording. He's recorded and released seven albums of critically-acclaimed music, written four novels, and is an amateur boxer. His first major film work was in 1993, on HBO's "Against the Wall," in a scene with a not-yet-famous Samuel L. Jackson. Berwick's IMDb page lists over 100 credits in film, TV, soundtrack and composition credits.

Michael Rice
Graphic Designer
He/Him/His

Michael Rice is a design researcher & strategist from the Chicago suburbs. He enjoys studying people to help create impactful design solutions. He currently lives in San Francisco, California.

Also including:

Elenna Sindler: Composer
Jack Druffel: Composer
Andy Long: Sound Design / Post-Production
Connor Speck: Costume Designer
Kai Magee: Theatrical Lighting Designer
Lucinda Mandel: Art Director
Serina Johnson: Actress
Shatareia Stokes: Actress

Final Notes

Often when films like this explore concepts of identity, that becomes the driving force behind the piece. In an effort to avoid a myopic theme By A Thread incorporates myriad concepts into its purview. Through its unique short structure, the film depicts a series of diverse interactions connected through the person at the core of the story. The Subject.Highly influenced by stark realism in the vein of Andrea Arnold’s ‘American Honey’ and magical realistic pieces like Josephine Decker’s ‘Madeline’s Madeline’, By A Thread searches to explore the human condition and struggle with self through juxtaposition of what we experience and how it makes us feel.Ultimately, any person could experience what the character experiences, rejection is universal and self doubt is pervasive, but only this unique person could process it the way they do.

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