“What Makes Me”
A James Staycation Documentary
In 2020 the world was forced to face a new reality. For me the pandemic highlighted some aspects of my life and past traumas that I needed to reflect on. I took an extended leave from my retail management position to focus on me. This film explores my 40 day trip across the country and learning to love myself again. The details of the story may be uniquely mine, but the topics are a shared part of the human experience: failed relationships, career satisfaction, depression, substance abuse, childhood traumas and more.
The film opens with me packing up my car, leaving Detroit and hitting the road. It flashes back to video journals that explain how I lost the love I once had for myself. The captivating story features stunning drone footage from some of the most stunning places in America.
“What Makes Me” premiered in December of 2021 in Royal Oak, MI to a full audience raising ~$3000 for HUDA; a free medical and mental health clinic in the city of Detroit.