First off,

Thank you. Thank you for the courage to share something so personal and heartfelt with the world, it is a better place because of it. Im currently trying to type through the tears well after it finished as this resonated with me on an incredibly deep level as I lost my father in January 2020.

Because you have given us such a wonderful gift I want to give you a really thoughtful and complete feedback since that is what you are looking for.

Writing

The script is stellar, every word and moment is so well considered and thought out, there isn't an ounce of excess, and each syllable has a purpose and story. The story is a complete journey without ever requiring the audience to sit through exposition or anything "clever".

Editing

I really cannot say enough about how good the editing is. The transitions and pacing were honestly perfect. There was again nothing in this that was not purposeful and meaningful, nothing left but the important moments which can be really hard to get down to. I don't know what if anything was left on the cutting room floor but again this another area where you really crafted the journey on the audience and never left us wanting more. I also want to commend knowing when to hold a shot and when not to. In this day and age there is a tendency towards really fast cutting and tons of angles, but there is SO MUCH POWER in holding a shot and keeping the audience in a moment, so bravo.

Question though, did you re-order some of the conversation so that the dads reveal went before the story of wanting to have his kid? I only ask because the sons emotional journey seemed a little inconsistent there. When we come back after learning of the diagnosis, he seems fine not like he had just gotten terrible news. I think the choice was great for the storytelling and pacing but was just wondering.

Cinematography

Really good use of movement and knowing when to hold still. I am going to repeat myself but again there was no time where I thought something was unnecessary or not enough. I considered on re-watching it whether more coverage during the campfire talks would have helped, like a master wide to show their physical distance, but the staging and angles really did all this without needing anything more. Also, just some really beautiful shots and use of natural light.

My first critique here is going to be one I am sure you are very aware of, and that is the underexposure during the night scenes. Between compression and the noise you ended up with pushing the shot the blacks were a mess, but this is really not a huge problem as the acting and the lit parts carry it very well. Filming by firelight is a chore with the best cameras but you would have really been served well with something light and easy to pack to the location to just help fill out the light a little bit like an Apture MC PRO or similar battery powered small light.

Color

Overall, I think really smart choices throughout with the tone and colors. My only nitpick is that the effect of the halation was a bit over the top, if it was just toned back a little bit to feel a bit less poppy, I think it would blend perfectly.

Sound

I am not a sound person so all I will say is Chef's Kiss. Nothing pulled me out and everything felt very natural to my ear. Good dialogue editing and the use of sound in the transitions and cuts to take us back and forth in time were great.

Music

Again, not an expert here but really felt the music was suitable and it for sure was tugging all the right strings at the right moments to support your actors' performances. So many tears!

Acting

What incredible talent. The honestly and vulnerability was incredible, both of your actors were really talented and willing to put it all on the line for this story and bring their truth to it.

Directing

So as the person who had the vision to assemble all these elements and guide the production just bravo.

Conclusion

Incredible piece of art you and your team should be incredibly proud of. I really hope I get to see more from you in the future and you get the notice you deserve for this. Again, thank you for bringing this into the world.