Do you ever question your memories?

An event can be remembered in different ways by different people.  To the individual their recollection is fact. What if what you remember to be true actually wasn’t?  What if a suppressed trauma altered your memory leaving you to question everything you held as your foundation?

When I was younger, I went through a trauma that had been suppressed until I was a young adult. This trauma caused symptoms that I did not fully understand until I went to therapy several years later. It was then that I learned about the effects that trauma can have on memory.

"Tracing Fog" explores this through the story of a young girl who witnessed her mother’s murder.  This is based on the story of a loved one.  I learned about this when I was a child. Since then I have been trying to find a way to tell the story, while preserving anonymity.  

Through J, we stumble upon a case that triggers a cascade of memories from her past…

And unveils the narrative concealed deep within, embracing the silence and letting the profound stillness speak its resounding truth.

The award-winning script "Tracing Fog" unfolds in a linear narrative, interwoven with flashbacks that reveal J’s disturbing childhood memories of her mother’s death, at the hands of multiple attackers, including her father. J and her best friend, Wren, are private investigators who are also best friends. Together they fight to solve a case of missing girls that have disappeared in Waukegan, IL. This case brings up suppressed memories of J's mother's murder, causing her to question her testimony that put her father behind bars.

J becomes an unreliable narrator. Her reality becomes fragile based on her memories that are constantly changing. As J wrestles with these haunting images, she fights through every obstacle in search of a single ounce of peace.

In the world today trauma is often exploited in media.  Showing the trauma itself or showing something simply for the shock value.  Women in particular are seen as weak or crazy after going through a trauma, rarely high functioning.  Trauma has many effects, yet there are many women who struggle while still taking care of others as well as themselves.  They fall sometimes and make mistakes but that is what makes them beautifully human.  This story shows a woman who uses her struggles as power to uncover the truth about her mother’s death.

With all of my films I try and raise conversation that is often avoided.  When trauma happens we do not always know what to do with it.  We can try and bury it, avoid it, or create some type of purpose from it.  Opening up a dialogue is what started my journey of trying to understand what happened.  It led me to finally come into myself. This is what I want to do for others through this film.  

We will shoot four scenes from the feature film. The scenes will be edited in a non-chronological way that tells a story. This approach will have the audience asking questions and wanting more.

These selected scenes and the feature film will be shot in a way that mirrors both reality and memory.  We will do a lot of close ups and chaotic movements that move with the characters, adding an element of personality to the camera.  It will be a modern film noir, playing with lights, shadows, and hidden moments.

J

"I'm twenty seven years old and I wake up screaming and no one is there.”

A private investigator with the power to calm or destroy, she struggles with the ghosts of her past and memories that cast doubt on her sanity. Raised by her grandmother, after her mother’s murder, J is now the caregiver. J takes care of her grandmother as the Parkinson's disease takes over. Trying to balance her work and home life, J delves deeper into her history. The memories begin to lie to her and her mental state begins to unravel, pushing her to the brink of chaos, until she ultimately uncovers the long, awaited truth. Her relationships suffer in the wake of this turmoil, especially as a survivor of trauma who finds emotional intimacy difficult. Her connection with her friend Theo is marked by an on-again, off-again romantic entanglement that leaves him disheartened. Despite her darkness, Theo just wants to be with her. Her best friend, Wren, is the only constant support in her life. Never letting her go through anything alone.

Wren

"You are the furthest thing from failure."

Wren, a force to be reckoned with, and the best friend you could ever have, is J’s partner in private investigation. While grappling with a cancer diagnosis, she endures the grueling process of ongoing treatment, steadfastly working alongside J as both a partner and a friend. Her battle with cancer is cloaked in denial, and it takes every ounce of her strength to finally face her own reality. As if that weren’t enough, her ex suddenly reappears in her life. There’s still a deep love between them that never truly faded. Wren loves risk, but at what cost?

Theo

"J, you’re my crazy”

A gentle giant, until provoked. He’s rough around the edges but soft with a select few. Being in love with J gives his life deeper meaning, and he’s drawn to the tragedy of their relationship. He is always waiting for her. Working as a bartender while studying psychology, he’s a quiet observer of people, which is part of what makes J so alluring to him. He’s known J and Wren for years and has always been a steady pillar they can rely on. If he’s on your side, he’d take a bullet for you.

In turn for your support, you will receive epic perks and will feel the joy of the filmmaking process.  You will be supporting art that tries to make a difference in people’s lives.  Your contribution will cover the day rates of actors and crew, camera equipment, lighting gear, on-set meals, and post production fees.

We need at least $8,000 to cover the cost of the "Tracing Fog" trailer.

$500 for on-set meals for our epic cast and crew.

$2,500 for actor fees

$2,000 for crew fees

$2,000 for camera and light gear

$1,000 for post production fees

"Tracing Fog" is currently in pre-production led by myself, the director, as well as Dan Burns, our genius producer, and Anh Vo our visionary cinematographer.  Our cast and crew are all the best in their fields, and are ready to bring this story to life.  Our production dates for filming are at the end of January 2026.  After which we will take on the journey of post-production, and aim to have the trailer completed by June 2026. Once we have our finished trailer, we will be sharing a teaser of it on social media to gain exposure.  The plan is to submit to film festivals that specialize in psychological thrillers, women in film, and awareness for mental health. Once everything is edited we will be using the trailer to pitch to production houses in order to get financing for the feature film.

Check out our previous work.