In every film, there is the story that you knew you were telling, the story the audience perceives. But there is always some other story, a secret story. It might be the result of your hidden motivations for making the film, or, instead, the result of themes that only became clear to you after you made the movie. It might be something very personal, or it might be a story you didn’t even know you were telling. What is your film’s secret story?

Southside With You is ostensibly a love story. A simple boy meets girl kind of thing. But as I wrote it, I realized it was also about being in your twenties and knowing it’s time to take one last leap towards independence so that you can finally be the person you want to be, instead of the person the world wants you to be. The two characters are there for one other at that pivotal crossroads and show one other how to make the leap. In that sense, the secret story of the film is about growing up and finding the person uniquely qualified to help you do it.

[PREMIERE SCREENING: Sunday, January 24 at 12:15pm — Eccles Theatre]

Sundance Responses 2016