his is a story about persevering in the wake of tragedy. It’s about community pulling together and the common bond that develops between people who want to give for the sake of giving. This idea is something that carried over to production of our documentary, and couldn’t have been made without the generous volunteering, whether of footage, location, or time, of numerous people. You see, we had no budget. We had no crew. We had no post. This is the definition of “independent filmmaking,” and it couldn’t be told any other way.

What we did have for the doc was a number of people who saw this story as something different than all the same stories told about the marathon bombing in 2013. While we were offered up the same faces saying the same things already seen on every television network and in film, we went in a different way for a different voice. This is what those dedicated volunteers to this documentary responded to – it wasn’t like everything that’s come before, so they wanted to be involved knowing the story needed to be told.

And get involved they did. When production companies said “no” to funding, my friends stepped up. Two cameramen stepped in to aid me for a few days donating their professional time. Those involved in Post helping me catch up again took massive discounts on their rates and pushed through hours of pressure-packed moments, denying their family time, to help get this finished. The on-screen talent read the treatment and always said “yes” to being involved as they knew this story could impact the city, and none of them asked for a dime. Those behind the scenes, whether allowing us footage, materials, or a location, all felt the same. It became the easiest job to attach people to, and we had no contracts or payment obligating anyone to help or be involved. Some stories just need to be told, and we all felt that.

It took about 2.5 years of filming, and almost 3 years from that first night my brother called to ask me if I wanted to do a documentary about a daffodil. He was there every step of the way, helping push this over the finish line even when my own destruction was imminent – he just wouldn’t allow it, and THAT is what this documentary taught me. People helping other people is a core element of and what’s needed in this world, and showing that truth through entertainment, education, and personal experience is the most rewarding thing I could ever be part of.

You won’t find what’s wrong with the world in this documentary. You’ll find what’s right, and how we can expand on it. You’ll find how people who’ve experienced what you never want to experience move forward in the face of unthinkable tragedy. You’ll find pain in every hero, a hero in every soul, and love of a community that can be found and shared everywhere. Maybe some laughs along the way, some cheers and tears, a bit of education as well, but in the end, I hope you find this as uplifting to your spirit as I found to mine in making it.

Thank you for watching.