Director's Statement:
Archie was kind enough to let me observe his life for a few days, after being introduced by a friend we have in common.
The result is a short Portrait about someone who is trying to prioritize time and experiences, over the metrics of a more traditional measure of success.
There is definitely something ironic about documenting the story of someone living the simplest life with a full crew and an equipment list the price of a single family home. For that reason (…and budget), it was me, my camera package and 1 lens.
My intention was to make the audience feel invited, at a respectful distance, to observe Archie for a moment in his everyday life.
I can relate a lot with his story. I left a decent job and a life in South of France to move to the US against all odds and decided to pursue a career in Filmmaking.
Why are we so fascinated by these stories of people taking ownership of their lives and making the radical changes they wish for? Some of us jump the cliff, while others will forever watch and dream about “what if…?”
By telling Archie’s story, in a way, I’m just trying to answer these questions for myself.
Archie
Directed by Michael Morris (United States) won several awards and was a Best Picture Award Finalist at the Oregon Documentary Film Festival, which took place on April 23rd, 2022 at the 5th Avenue Cinema.