SIMPLE LITTLE LIVES

Feature | Drama | 80 min
Written by: Shoja Azari, Johnny Azari & Ahmad Diba
Directed by: Shoja Azari
Produced by: Shirin Neshat, Shoja Azari, Blake Ashman & Ahmad Diba
Production Supervisor: Sam Marine
Edited by: Shoja Azari & Gina Sansom
Director of Photography: Ghasem Ebrahimian

Tradition still abides in the ADK - the Adirondacks region of upstate New York - as nine friends gather for their annual all-night hog roast, even as their community crumbles around them.

I was lucky to supervise the production of this visually stunning feature, made by an incredible team of talented people including legendary Iranian visual artists/filmmakers Shirin Neshat and Shoja Azari, and producer Blake Ashman (Sean Baker’s STARLET). Filming took place in the deep woods of the ADK over 3 weeks — almost entirely overnights, and almost entirely around a campfire where a bullet-ridden pig carcass was slowly decomposing — and by the end we all lost our minds. A wild ride that will live on in my heart forever.