Do You Remember When I Left You Behind
Jackson, Wyoming | Film Feature
Drama, Comedy
Two sisters return to Wyoming to scatter their father's ashes, but one has a secret: she's come to ask her ex-boyfriend to help her become a mother. Support our independent film as we bring this character-driven story about family, grief, and the future to Jackson, Wyoming.
Do You Remember When I Left You Behind
Jackson, Wyoming | Film Feature
Drama, Comedy
1 Campaigns | California, United States
22 supporters | followers
Enter the amount you would like to pledge
$3,720
Goal: $22,000 for production
Two sisters return to Wyoming to scatter their father's ashes, but one has a secret: she's come to ask her ex-boyfriend to help her become a mother. Support our independent film as we bring this character-driven story about family, grief, and the future to Jackson, Wyoming.
About The Project
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Ten years after losing their father, sisters Maggie and Alice return to Wyoming, where they spent their childhood summers, with a plan to scatter his ashes. Unfortunately for Alice, her older sister has a different idea of what closure really means when she reunites with Steven, the first love she has never fully let go of, hoping he will become the sperm donor for the child she desperately wants. As Steven's younger fling, Olivia, enters the picture, old relationships are tested and long-buried resentments between the sisters begin to surface. Against the vast landscape of the Tetons, each character wrestles with questions about love, responsibility, motherhood, and whether hope is still possible in an increasingly uncertain world.
My work often explores grief, memory, and the ways we hold onto people who become extensions of our own loss. I'm fascinated by how memory can both comfort us and keep us from moving forward. Wyoming holds many of my favorite memories, but also some of the hardest ones.
This story also grew from a very contemporary anxiety: my generation's uncertainty about the future. Many people are asking a question previous generations rarely faced: Should we have children? I wanted to explore that question through an intimate family story rather than a political one.
Do You Remember When I Left You Behind? explores the liminal space between what has been and what could be. Through unconventional motherhood, grief, and the lingering pull of old relationships, the film asks what it takes to let go.
"MAGGIE" portrayed by Sasha Frolova, the older sister to Alice. Sensitive, impulsive, and deeply hopeful, Maggie longs to become a mother and work towards something permanent as her own life feels increasingly unstable. She believes creating new life is the only way she can move forward.
"ALICE" portrayed by Ryan Simpkins, is Maggie's younger sister and is thoughtful, practical, and emotionally guarded, Alice has quietly rebuilt her life after her father's death. She struggles to understand Maggie's choices while hiding the ways she has carried grief alone.
"STEPHEN" portrayed by Ian Edlund, Stephen is Maggie's ex-boyfriend. Intelligent and avoidant, Maggie's request forces him to finally examine the life he wants to build.
"OLIVIA" portrayed by Arkira Chantaratananond, Olivia is Stephen's younger girlfriend. Independent, and deeply affected by climate anxiety, Olivia challenges traditional ideas about adulthood, and whether bringing children into today's world is an act of hope or denial.
From Jessica Barr:
Growing up, my family returned to the same house in Wyoming every summer (shout out to Cousin Jay the owner, who is one of the most generous people in the world). After my mother died in high school, I became fascinated by how places preserve memories long after people are gone. Returning to Wyoming as an adult, I realized the landscape had remained almost exactly the same while I had changed completely. That tension became the emotional foundation for the film.
Independent filmmaking has always required creativity, preparation, and community. Our team's careers have been built around finding practical solutions without compromising the story, and this production has been designed with that same philosophy.
By keeping our footprint small, working with an experienced team, and concentrating our resources where they'll have the greatest impact on screen, we're able to make an ambitious, cinematic film while remaining financially responsible. Your support is an investment in a filmmaker who has consistently finished what she's started. Every dollar raised goes directly toward making this film and continuing to build a career dedicated to intimate, emotionally honest independent cinema.
References
Old Joy, directed by Kelly Reichhardt, has always been a touchstone for our story because of the way it uses landscape. The Oregon wilderness isn't just a backdrop; it holds memory, history, and everything left unsaid between the characters. That's something we want Wyoming to do in this film.
Columbus, directed by Kogonada, reminds me that conversations about seemingly ordinary things - places, buildings, the future, can quietly reveal who people are and what they're afraid of.
Your Sister's Sister, directed by Lynn Shelton, has always inspired me through its approach to relationships and filmmaking. The characters feel messy, contradictory, and incapable of fully articulating what they need, allowing tension to emerge through pauses, humor, and seemingly ordinary conversations.
The films that have stayed with us are the ones that trust quiet moments and allow emotion to emerge naturally.
Supporting Do You Remember When I Left You Behind? means supporting a filmmaker with a proven track record of bringing ambitious independent films to life. Over the past eight years, Barr has written, directed, and produced films that have premiered at top festivals including Slamdance, SXSW, Deauville, Fantasia and many more. Along the way, she's also produced more than fifteen short films and spent the past five years working in post-production, helping shepherd projects from production through delivery. That experience has given Jessica a practical understanding of every stage of the filmmaking process, while allowing her to build a network of talented collaborators I trust. This is her first crowdfunding campaign.Two of Jessica
Stills from two of Jessica's recent films: Tight and Private Moments
Our Promise
Our promise is simple: this film is happening. We have our locations, our flights, and an experienced team committed to bringing Do You Remember When I Left You Behind to life in Jackson, Wyoming this September. Every dollar you contribute goes directly into making this film — paying our cast and crew fairly, renting equipment, securing locations, providing meals, building the world of the film through props and production design, and covering the countless essentials that make independent filmmaking possible.
Our team is lean, seasoned, ambitious, and we've built this production with resourcefulness and care. We promise to honor the trust you've placed in us by putting every contribution into what you see on screen and do everything we can to make the strongest film possible. Beyond the making of the film, this effort is about giving a special story the platform it deserves and fulfilling a dream we have been working towards for years.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Wages
Costs $7,000
Covers payment for our small crew, who are all working at reduced rates.
Camera and G&E
Costs $8,000
We will be renting our camera and lighting equipment, and this helps cover that cost for the duration of the shoot.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
...
Current Team
Incentives
- The Story
- Wishlist
- Updates
- The Team
- Community
Mission Statement
The Story
Ten years after losing their father, sisters Maggie and Alice return to Wyoming, where they spent their childhood summers, with a plan to scatter his ashes. Unfortunately for Alice, her older sister has a different idea of what closure really means when she reunites with Steven, the first love she has never fully let go of, hoping he will become the sperm donor for the child she desperately wants. As Steven's younger fling, Olivia, enters the picture, old relationships are tested and long-buried resentments between the sisters begin to surface. Against the vast landscape of the Tetons, each character wrestles with questions about love, responsibility, motherhood, and whether hope is still possible in an increasingly uncertain world.
My work often explores grief, memory, and the ways we hold onto people who become extensions of our own loss. I'm fascinated by how memory can both comfort us and keep us from moving forward. Wyoming holds many of my favorite memories, but also some of the hardest ones.
This story also grew from a very contemporary anxiety: my generation's uncertainty about the future. Many people are asking a question previous generations rarely faced: Should we have children? I wanted to explore that question through an intimate family story rather than a political one.
Do You Remember When I Left You Behind? explores the liminal space between what has been and what could be. Through unconventional motherhood, grief, and the lingering pull of old relationships, the film asks what it takes to let go.
"MAGGIE" portrayed by Sasha Frolova, the older sister to Alice. Sensitive, impulsive, and deeply hopeful, Maggie longs to become a mother and work towards something permanent as her own life feels increasingly unstable. She believes creating new life is the only way she can move forward.
"ALICE" portrayed by Ryan Simpkins, is Maggie's younger sister and is thoughtful, practical, and emotionally guarded, Alice has quietly rebuilt her life after her father's death. She struggles to understand Maggie's choices while hiding the ways she has carried grief alone.
"STEPHEN" portrayed by Ian Edlund, Stephen is Maggie's ex-boyfriend. Intelligent and avoidant, Maggie's request forces him to finally examine the life he wants to build.
"OLIVIA" portrayed by Arkira Chantaratananond, Olivia is Stephen's younger girlfriend. Independent, and deeply affected by climate anxiety, Olivia challenges traditional ideas about adulthood, and whether bringing children into today's world is an act of hope or denial.
From Jessica Barr:
Growing up, my family returned to the same house in Wyoming every summer (shout out to Cousin Jay the owner, who is one of the most generous people in the world). After my mother died in high school, I became fascinated by how places preserve memories long after people are gone. Returning to Wyoming as an adult, I realized the landscape had remained almost exactly the same while I had changed completely. That tension became the emotional foundation for the film.
Independent filmmaking has always required creativity, preparation, and community. Our team's careers have been built around finding practical solutions without compromising the story, and this production has been designed with that same philosophy.
By keeping our footprint small, working with an experienced team, and concentrating our resources where they'll have the greatest impact on screen, we're able to make an ambitious, cinematic film while remaining financially responsible. Your support is an investment in a filmmaker who has consistently finished what she's started. Every dollar raised goes directly toward making this film and continuing to build a career dedicated to intimate, emotionally honest independent cinema.
References
Old Joy, directed by Kelly Reichhardt, has always been a touchstone for our story because of the way it uses landscape. The Oregon wilderness isn't just a backdrop; it holds memory, history, and everything left unsaid between the characters. That's something we want Wyoming to do in this film.
Columbus, directed by Kogonada, reminds me that conversations about seemingly ordinary things - places, buildings, the future, can quietly reveal who people are and what they're afraid of.
Your Sister's Sister, directed by Lynn Shelton, has always inspired me through its approach to relationships and filmmaking. The characters feel messy, contradictory, and incapable of fully articulating what they need, allowing tension to emerge through pauses, humor, and seemingly ordinary conversations.
The films that have stayed with us are the ones that trust quiet moments and allow emotion to emerge naturally.
Supporting Do You Remember When I Left You Behind? means supporting a filmmaker with a proven track record of bringing ambitious independent films to life. Over the past eight years, Barr has written, directed, and produced films that have premiered at top festivals including Slamdance, SXSW, Deauville, Fantasia and many more. Along the way, she's also produced more than fifteen short films and spent the past five years working in post-production, helping shepherd projects from production through delivery. That experience has given Jessica a practical understanding of every stage of the filmmaking process, while allowing her to build a network of talented collaborators I trust. This is her first crowdfunding campaign.Two of Jessica
Stills from two of Jessica's recent films: Tight and Private Moments
Our Promise
Our promise is simple: this film is happening. We have our locations, our flights, and an experienced team committed to bringing Do You Remember When I Left You Behind to life in Jackson, Wyoming this September. Every dollar you contribute goes directly into making this film — paying our cast and crew fairly, renting equipment, securing locations, providing meals, building the world of the film through props and production design, and covering the countless essentials that make independent filmmaking possible.
Our team is lean, seasoned, ambitious, and we've built this production with resourcefulness and care. We promise to honor the trust you've placed in us by putting every contribution into what you see on screen and do everything we can to make the strongest film possible. Beyond the making of the film, this effort is about giving a special story the platform it deserves and fulfilling a dream we have been working towards for years.
Wishlist
Use the WishList to Pledge cash and Loan items - or - Make a pledge by selecting an Incentive directly.
Crew Wages
Costs $7,000
Covers payment for our small crew, who are all working at reduced rates.
Camera and G&E
Costs $8,000
We will be renting our camera and lighting equipment, and this helps cover that cost for the duration of the shoot.
Direct link:
Share this update!
About This Team
...