Corona Cork Film Festival

The future is not written. There’s no fate except what we make for ourselves. - Billy (quoting from The Terminator)

While casting a short film from non-actor high school students in rural Maine, Jennifer Venditti became intrigued by the eccentric wisdom and pop-infused intuition and sensibility of Billy and decided to capture moments from the precocious teen’s everyday life. Unfazed by the wireless microphone that he faithfully wore each day, Billy allowed Venditti to follow him and witness the highs and lows of school, taunting from bullies and the colourful locals of Main Street, as well as intimate emotional discussions with his mother.

In the midst of shooting, Billy serendipitously crosses paths with his crush Heather at the local diner, and the film takes an unexpected turn as the filmmakers track the nuances of first-time teenage love and its aftermath. Billy shares intimate and acute observations about himself and those around him without restrition. Penny, Billy’s mother, proves to be a valiant touchstone. She shares their difficult history with Billy’s addicted, abusive biological father and we see glimpses of how Billy’s attitude towards women was shaped by his inability to
protect his own mother when he was a child. His fantasy world is similarly constructed from heroic desires to
overcome demons from their shared past and prevail.

Best Documentary - Edinburgh International Film Festival, 2007
Audience Award - Melbourne Film Festival, 2007