Céline Roustan
In their youth, Betty and Jack got hit by a train. After the accident, this near death experience became a story Jack retold many times. Fifty years later, their son, S/W alum James P. Gannon (The Christmas Light Killer, Smoke Bomb Boys), turns this epic family tale into a delightful, engaging and fun documentary. Being a storyteller clearly runs in the Gannon family, Deerwoods Deathtrap is the proof.
“The movie became about both of them, revisiting a near-death experience and not agreeing on a goddamn thing”
As a director, how could Gannon not bring this story to the screen. “I grew up hearing my father tell this story a million times”, he shared with us. Initially, he started the project to have a memory of them that will “last forever”. As he started filming, he realised he’d only really heard the story from his dad’s perspective and as his mom started to share her memories, disagreements arose. “So the movie became about both of them, revisiting a near-death experience and not agreeing on a goddamn thing”, Gannon explains. To the benefit of the short, it just so happens that both have very charming personalities on screen, and are gifted storytellers. Their different recollections only making the story even more entertaining.
It is undeniable that their story is insane! But Gannon mostly wanted the film to be funny and knew he could rely on his parents’ charisma to make this happen, allowing their personalities to “shine through”. They are obviously comfortable with him, and don’t seem to be bothered by the camera as their bickering feels authentic and unfiltered. Luckily, they naturally know how to infuse comedy in their recounting of the events and with his editor Jason Tippet, Gannon maximizes the humor by crafting a tone and rhythm that give an entertaining and pleasant pacing to the film.
” I wanted to capture it with film to align with those memories, it just felt right and I have a deep love for super 8″ – Gannon on his production.
While the narrative is his parents’, the film is Gannon’s and because of it he has found a way to add his own contribution to a now intergenerational story. Through his directorial choices, he builds his own story from theirs, crafting a very specific visual aesthetic. Being on the receiving end of the story for many years, and having seen kodak slides of his father’s bruised face is reflected in his decision to give a subtle genre dimension to the film, which never lessens the comedic element but instead perfectly pairs with it. The film is also shot on super 8, a very conscious decision to capture what he refers to as an “analog story”, echoing his memories, not of the event, but of the recounting of it.
Deerwoods Deathtrap is a hit of the 2022 festival circuit. After a premiere at the 2022 edition of Sundance, it went on to be selected at the Palm Springs ShortFest, Fantastic Fest, earned special jury mentions at Aspen & OakCliff and an award at HollyShorts.