LOGLINE

Surreal Drama Short Film

Why We Left is a visually poetic short film about a couple attempting to escape the grief of losing their child by leaving behind everything they know.

SYNOPSIS

Set in the quiet aftermath of loss, Why We Left follows a couple whose unspoken grief, and the different ways they try to cope, slowly fractures their connection.

Adapted from Ana Menéndez’s short story, the film is less about physical relocation and more about the emotional distance that grows in the wake of trauma. Maria and Manny have moved to the northeast to escape the pain of losing their baby but get lost in their own individual and private grief instead. Through lyrical dialogue and intimate,

atmospheric imagery, punctuated by moments of surrealism and glimpses into the psyche of the main characters, Why We Left explores how silence—between partners, between past and present—can both protect and isolate us.

WRITER/DIRECTOR ARTISTIC STATEMENT

Years ago, I was introduced to In Cuba I Was a German Shepherd by Ana Menéndez and was immediately captivated. While I loved the collection as a whole, the story Why We Left embedded itself in me in a way I couldn’t shake. Its imagery, its intimacy, and its profound sense of longing have continued to echo in my imagination over the years.

My relationship to the story deepened after experiencing a pregnancy loss of my own. Returning to Why We Left during that time, I understood it through a different lens—the impulse to detach from reality, to find refuge in a memory, and to seek comfort in a world where beauty still blooms in the face of pain. The story became both mirror and anchor, a reminder of how a narrative can hold us when we are otherwise unmoored.

As a filmmaker, I am drawn to works that weave the personal and the universal, stories that evoke not only empathy but also embodiment. Why We Left is one such story. My intention with this short film is to honor the emotional truth at it’s core while using production design, cinematography, performance, and visual effects to bring the surreal beauty of the piece into vivid life. Every artistic choice will exist in service of the story’s emotional resonance.

I believe this project is an opportunity to create a film that is both intimate and transportive, one that preserves the delicate power of the original story while allowing audiences to step inside its world.

– Joan Cassin, Writer/Director

PITCH DECK

Joan Cassin, Writer, Director and Producer.

Joan Cassin is an Emmy nominated TV, commercial, and narrative director & producer based in Massachusetts. Her work combines visual poetry with grounded human storytelling, often exploring themes of identity, emotional inheritance, and the spaces between people. With a deep background in commercial production, Joan brings a balance of vision and pragmatism to every project. She is drawn to stories that are quietly profound, rich with subtext, and emotionally resonant.

Carley Byers, Producer.

Carley Byers is a filmmaker based in New Bedford, Massachusetts—a whale-obsessed creative hub in the SouthCoast region. She strives to produce films with unique perspectives pushing boundaries emotionally and creatively. Carley is a 2025 Stowe Producers Lab Fellow and a receipt of the Tarkovski Grant. Since graduating from Massachusetts College of Art and Design in 2021, she's worked on a wide variety of projects from short films to commercials finding her speciality in producing. Carley strives to lead projects with kindness fostering inclusive and collaborative on set environments that make for impactful storytelling from set to screen.

Tishna Lodi, Producer & 1st AD.

Tishna Lodi is a Massachusetts-based producer and production professional with experience spanning film, branded content, and television. At Brickyard VFX, she manages project timelines, creative resources, and client relationships, while spearheading new initiatives such as the Filmmaker Partnership Program, which awards in-kind VFX services to independent filmmakers. Her past roles include supporting talent development at Select Management Group and Executive Assistant to the Head of Production at Miramax, where she worked across film projects in development, production, and post.

Matt Dorris, Director of Photography.

Matt is an award winning cinematographer that started his journey crafting images on his parent's home VHS recorder. Later on, while pursuing and degree in Film Studies, he fell in deeper in love with visual mediums while experimenting with 35mm film and early digital vfx. His career then lead him to serve as a DIT on shows for Netflix, HBO, and Amazon. His time is now spent raising his children and shooting commercials and short films.

Suja Ono, Production Designer.

Suja Ono (they/them) was born in the Pacific Northwest and studied film at Emerson College. They have been a member of the Art Directors Guild (Local 800) since 2021 and has worked on films that have premiered at festivals such as Cannes, the Berlinale, and Sundance. Their production design work was most recently featured in the Secret Mall Apartment, produced by Jesse Eisenberg, which premiered as SXSW in 2024.

Brian Cassin, Editor.

As a Director and Editor, Brian helps midwife creativity. He cares deeply about your baby and will deliver it as if it were his own. He's delivered spots for Showtime, television documentaries for NOVA, Discovery, Food Network, and Animal Planet. He also edited Joan Cassin's previous award winning short film REST.

Stowe Story Labs alumni can initiate an application for fiscal agency here.

WHY WE LEFT