(Content Disclaimer: This film and the below campaign deals with discussions on self-harm, suicide, and intense sexual situations. Please, mature audiences only. If you are sensitive and vulnerable to these topics, please take precaution).

According to a study from the American Journal of Psychiatry, within one month of death by suicide, only about 19% of individuals had seen a mental health professional. For those 55 and older, only 11%.

My name's Jonathan Banach (but I just go by Jon), and I'm the writer and director of "Lesion", a 15 minute short-film shooting within the Greater Milwaukee Area.

As I quickly approach turning thirty, it’s been ten plus years since I’ve last felt the touch, the genuine, honest connection from a woman. What was lost that decade ago that has made it so difficult to connect with others, to love, to be vulnerable? Have I ever loved myself the way I hope to be? Have I ever really been okay with me, with who I am? If I’m being honest, I haven’t. To put it simply, I quite often hate the person I am.

For years, I have avoided confronting these negative feelings within myself and being vulnerable and honest with others around me, with my family. I have avoided talking through these things, saying these things that I’m too afraid to say, out loud, for a fear of what that would actually mean. How, if people really knew me, would anyone actually love me? Through years of therapy, I have started to break through some of these negative belief patterns and am, ever slowly, beginning to be more open and vulnerable with my family and myself.

This film, for me, is a continuation of that journey and an expression of my desire to connect and be truthful with myself and my family. With this film, I aim to explore the depths that we go to in order to shy away 
from our own brokenness…
our own vulnerability…

despite that vulnerability being the key to the genuine, human connection 
we crave with others.

(Me, the writer/director, Jon Banach, captured from lens test for film by Kieran Armstrong at Old Fast Glass... more to come from this!)

The story of "Lesion" follows Peter Emerson, a young photographer who, several years ago, after a failed moment of sexual intimacy, moved away from his family in Chicago to Milwaukee for art school. He rarely sees his family anymore.

In an effort to cope with his loneliness, Peter has turned to burning his right thigh with cigarettes, forming a lesion that he has thus far kept under wraps. On his birthday, after a rough phone call from Mom, Peter ventures on a date with an art therapist, Hailey Williams, who challenges Peter to confront his fear of connection, honesty, and his inability to believe in his worthiness to be loved.

Peter's journey is one of great intensity. There are intense themes and depictions of self-harm. There are also intense themes and depictions of sexual encounters, particularly with how Peter views physical intimacy as a way to somehow connect with himself. It is our goal to deal with and depict these situations with sensitivity, responsibility, and ultimately, truthfulness to our broken world. We hope by dwelling in truthfulness of the darkness, can we find just as much truthfulness in the light.

Our world is broken, made up of broken individuals, but despite this, I believe that we can be broken and still be loved. It is my mission with this film to scream this truth out to the world and to build a community that fosters this level of vulnerability and honesty.

Now, here's a deeper dive into the world of this story and how we plan to bring it to life.

Image: Parker Coffman @ Unsplash

Here's a little backstory on just a few of the characters...

PETER EMERSON:

Peter is a 29, soon-to-be 30-year-old middle child that left his family in Chicago for Milwaukee and a degree in photography. Today, he lives alone and currently works as a grocery store cashier. He has not seen his family in over a year, chalking it up to “being busy”, but really, it’s because he’s afraid of them seeing him as he is… broken.

Several years ago, before leaving home, Peter’s first sexual encounter left him with, more so revealed, a lack of connection and comfort within himself that has reverberated throughout his life. Starved of intimacy, Peter developed a habit of burning his thigh with cigarettes in hopes of finding some sort of feeling and connection.

He is terrified of being seen, but deep down, longs for someone who would see him and through the layered depths of his self-manifested despair…and love him not in spite of who he is, but because of who he is.

RENEE EMERSON :

Raised in a staunchly Catholic household in an affluent neighborhood outside Chicago, Renee Emerson is a wife and mother of three children. She is nearing the end of her career within the children’s ministry of the Catholic Church.

Growing up, she struggled with a strict upbringing from her divorced mother, never fully able to live up to their expectations. As a chronic alcoholic, her father came in and out of her life. The result of this was a deviant, substance filled period in her adolescent years which has been tamed as she matured. She appreciates the peaceful, sedentary lifestyle that she lives with her husband, William, a senior boss at a tech firm in Chicago .

Abby, 24, her youngest, is a high-achieving CC runner, but has recently started treatment for thyroid cancer. Ethan, 33, her oldest, has long dealt with his own substance abuse issues, but has been on the mend the past few years. Peter, 29, almost 30, is her middle child. He is her only child that does not live local. It’s been over a year since she last saw him.

HAILEY RAMSEY:

Hailey is a 28 year old woman living in Milwaukee, WI fresh out of grad school. She recently began her career as an art therapist at a local elementary school.

She grew up with parents heavily invested in their careers as medical professionals, leaving her to spend a lot of time taking care of her younger brother, Joey, who has special needs. This resulted in her attuning herself to others needs more than her own, both inflating her sense of responsibility and taking her away from developing her sparse friendships throughout high school.

Despite this lack of time for friendships, she was able to find a relationship, where Hailey became a survivor of sexual abuse from a boy she thought loved him, her first and only boyfriend. Being raised in a home where sex before marriage was deeply frowned upon, she kept this a secret from her family, burdened within guilt and shame.

In undergrad and grad school, she was able to find release and expression through art, finding her way to a career as an art therapist, giving her tools that has allowed her to grow closer with her family. After years of healing and settling within herself, she is finally ready to explore the potential of a romantic relationship…

Image: Egor Litvinov @ Unsplash

The visual and sonic goal of this film is emotional naturalism, or in other words, to bring us into how Pete feels the world, which is a world in tension with him.

There exists an abrasiveness and heaviness, a feeling that the world he lives in is in conflict with him, which has caused him to put on this hard shell over a soft interior.

Think of a cold, late fall night and seeing your breath fill the air, but despite that coldness, that harshness, there exists the warmth of that street lamp on the corner that reminds you of some sort of familiar comfort.

Within the tension that Pete feels, there is a persistent longing for, and presence of, warmth and softness in a world that otherwise feels so very cold and harsh.

Images from Unsplash, from top to bottom: Bobby, Fethi Benattallah, Rendy Novantino, and Liana S

Image: Frankie Mish @ Unsplash

Our team bringing this story to life is made up of individuals of diverse backgrounds and perspectives, with a shared passion for telling stories that make a meaningful difference in today's world by fostering empathy and inspiring hope. A number of us are fresh out of film-school at Loyola Marymount University, where we not only developed our craft alongside industry professionals, but forged deep relationships and friendships that make this film more than "just a film", but an experience to grow that bond and friendship even deeper.

Perhaps it's best not to admit on a crowdfunding page, but for me, the most meaningful part of the filmmaking process is not the end-product itself, but the people I get to work with. The experiences we share. The memories we make. The opportunity to be vulnerable with a group of individuals as we make something greater than any one of ourselves. That is the true blessing and privilege of getting to make a movie. A professor I had once said something along the lines of "at the end of the day, the process is all you have". It's an honor and a privilege to work with all of the people and those soon to come onboard!

(PS: Click on the links to go to their instagram/portfolio!)

1 - Kieran Armstrong - Cinematographer, Co-Colorist

Kieran is a passionate cinematographer who believes every frame is an opportunity to feel something deeper. An Independent Shorts Cinematography Award winner, his work spans powerful collaborations with NASCAR, UFC, TETRIS, and UNLV, blending cinematic craft with raw emotion. Kieran shot Blown Chances, directed by India Bey, which premiered at the American Black Film Festival, and Mothering Mirrors, directed by Simone Thomas-Rowe, winner of the CONNECTHER Film Festival and selection at numerous others. Guided by intuition and heart, Kieran uses light and color to tell stories rooted in love, growth, truth, and human understanding.

Kieran's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wesnosheckk/

2 - McCristol Harris III - Producer

McCristol’s work is deeply informed by his journey through mental health challenges and his commitment to resolving complex family dynamics. By infusing themes of grief with a resilient sense of hope, he creates art that empowers others to pursue their own paths toward clarity and progress. McCristol specializes in exploring unconventional masculinity and innovative approaches to mental wellness. Driven by the conviction that art is a catalyst for discovery and healing, he is dedicated to projects that examine the profound impact of human connections, both realized and lost.

3 - Sean Staples - Composer

Sean is an award-winning California-based film, television, media composer and professional songwriter. Sean has written the scores for dozens of feature and independent films as well as multiple television shows and worldwide commercial licensing spots as a professional composer. Sean has won several awards including a “Best Original Score” from the Independent Short Awards, in 2021 and another in 2022. In addition to his film scores, Sean is also a songwriter with multiple hit singles with Flo Rida and Michael Austin (The Voice), and regularly writes with artists and producers in New York, LA, Nashville, and worldwide. This is his eighth short-film collaboration with Jon.

Sean's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/seanmstaples/

4 - Simone Thomas-Rowe - 1st Assistant Director

Simone is a filmmaker and 1st Assistant Director whose work is rooted in curiosity about identity, mental health, the body, and social justice. Through immersive, emotionally grounded storytelling, her films explore the quiet tensions between personal experience and the world around us. She has 1st Assistant Directed nearly 20 projects and directed 12 films, five of which are award-winning.

Her film ‘Before My Eyes’ is featured on Apple TV as part of Changing Minds: Young Filmmakers, moderated by John Turturro and she has also received on stage recognition at the first annual Children and Family Emmy Awards. She also works as a freelance editor for narrative and social media content. Simone approaches each project with precision, care, and a deep reverence for the art of filmmaking.

Faye Liege - Production Designer, Musical Artist

Faye Liege (b. 1997, Oconomowoc, WI), a Milwaukee-based musician and visual artist who has produced an extensive body of visual art and music, and has led community organizing efforts under different aliases and groups. Notable efforts include co-founding and leading the mutual aid art organization MIDCOAST COLLECTIVE, fronting the electronica group Mood Migration, and producing alternative hip-hop projects like Nocturnals Forever. Her personal work is signified by sampling, speculative science fiction and a dreamy aesthetic.

In 2023 she began pursuing her own aesthetic interests through the visual and sonic wax cherubs project. She released her debut EP “and the sky’s warm blood” on September 3rd, 2023. Her sophomore effort “House Bird” EP released on May 6th, 2024. A debut album and corresponding animations are slated for a 2026 release.

"That's such an amazing crew, Jon, but where are you?" Well, here I am with a bit more formal of a bio!

Jonathan Banach - Writer and Director

Born and raised in Brookfield, Wisconsin, Jon is a writer and director currently living in Pomona, CA pursuing a career in narrative storytelling. He received his MFA in Film and Television Production from Loyola Marymount University in May of 2024, where he had the privilege of being a student of Amy Vincent, ASC for a full academic year. Jonathan brings with him an innate desire to foster connection and empathy in every story that he tells. With several short films as a director under his belt, Jonathan’s films explore the intersection of vulnerability, masculinity, and family. “Lesion” presents an opportunity to expand on these themes in their rawest form yet.

Jon's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thejban/

CAST (Coming Soon...)

Image: Jakob Owens @ Unsplash

Please see a breakdown of our current budget from pre-production through production. As you can see, over half of our budget is geared towards supporting the artists involved that are helping bring this story to life. By supporting our project, you are helping us support other artists as they are growing in their up-and-coming careers.

This budget is representative of our full budget and not our goal here on Seed & Spark, which is approximately $3,000 less. We are raising the money we need right now to actually make this project a reality.

Image: Liana S @ Unsplash

Image: Alex Plesovskich @ Unsplash

At this time, we have postponed filming until 2027. It's become clear that we need to spend time re-evaluating our campaign needs and overall strategy. We hope to come through this process with a stronger foundation that will make sure this project is told the way it deserves to be told.

In the meantime, it would mean so much if you followed our campaign to be kept up to date on the project. This is free, and helps us gain momentum on Seed & Spark's platform.

Image: Liana S @ Unsplash

If you've read this far, thank you! It is our goal to highlight stories from some of the cast and crew of their own journeys as it relates to their mental health and why they have gotten involved with this project. In so doing, we hope to spark engagement from you, the community, about some of your own stories. So stay tuned!

If you feel like you have a story you would like to tell, please reach out to us at [email protected] or follow our Instagram (@lesionshortfilm) and send us a message.

Darkness thrives in silence... so let's break it!

Thank you very much for considering supporting this project. It is my hope we can create a genuinely better world... one person, one heart, one mind at a time.

If you're unable to financially support and pledge to this project (we get it!), a share of this page can go a long way, even if it's just sharing it with one person who you think it would resonate with.

Here's a sample message that you can send along with the link to this campaign to help spread the word!

Hi! There's short film called "Lesion" that is currently raising funds for production. It's a story that follows an invulnerable young man struggling with self-harm as he goes on a date. If you're passionate about stories that promote vulnerability, mental health, and healing, it would mean so much if you took a look at this page to learn more and consider pledging to help this powerful story come to life!

And if you'd like to send something with a little more visuals, and/or want a little bit more information on the project, here's a link to our "spark deck".