Shot by Carissa Dorson
After Trump won the 2016 Election, I felt particular anger towards those who used their religion as an excuse for voting for him. While I am not religious, I grew up Catholic and knew that the tenets of Christ and the beliefs and actions of Trump were at odds. I wanted to write something short for my friend Dayna, a North Carolinian who can sing and improvise and draw some pretty cool designs.
So, I wrote Bruce, a short pilot or a short film that featured my anger towards Trump voters in the positive smiling face of Dayna, who played the titular character. After being assaulted by a member of her church, Bruce confides in her pastor, who refuses to condemn the attacker due to his political clout. She leaves her church for Los Angeles, where she plans to search for Jesus and spread his message with a song and a smile.
Bruce received Award of Merit - Special Mention at the Best Shorts Competition and an Honorable Mention at the Los Angeles Movie Awards.
