Imagine.
A neighborhood barbershop.
A place that reeks of character and the place where a million stories have transpired between cutter and cutee.
People waiting. Some men, some women, waiting for a "cut."
People pass by outside.
In one of the four chairs sits 5 year old Trey Smith, his father Will standing nearby, as a stunning, gorgeous female cutter is starting on Trey's hair.
But it's not about beautiful women, it's about someone willing to claim a son as his own and take the responsibility of that relationship.
This environment is a set, abstract in design, not a real place, smaller than a real place, where a child's mind runs wild. People move in slo-o-o-w motion.
Something resembling the possibility of how a child might see his surroundings. Just large enough for him to exist in.
A toy barbershop. Colorful. Intense.
Which, just as magical, becomes a toy eatery, with booths, and stools, and chairs, and tables. The place where, this day they spend together, Will has lunch with his son.
Burgers served by a waitress, another incredibly beautiful woman.
Later this child's environment also becomes a shoe store, where Trey, now far more excited than getting a haircut, tries on dozens of sneakers until he finds the exact right "cool" one.
Daddy sits next to him, impatient but proud. Trey's not gonna wear just any old thing.
And some more beautiful women help out, bringing box after box.
On a motorcycle.
Wind blowing against Will's helmet and body, Trey holding onto him for dear life, motoring down the city streets, happy and content to spend this time together.
A set, naturally. Against a moving backdrop of "stock footage."
Reading.
Working together on a laptop computer.
Father and son coming out of a "men's room," son buckling his belt.
You get the idea, their important day together, father and son, from the point of view of Trey. His imagination, his smaller sized world, his admiration.
Just able to catch his breath in awe of his daddy and his life.

At the same time we film Will and Trey sharing, we film Will in performance. Shoot at "ramping speed changes." Fast turns into slow and vice versa.
Trey's imagination. Hip-hop. Strange angles. Dark, royal blue environments, with magenta and green highlights.
(An example of the kind of photography is included.)

Intercut with the adventures of Trey and Will are scenes of other father and son combinations. These will be more "theater."
Posed relationships.
A sort of "tableaux verite," deliberate, staged scenes that are personal, intimate and somehow iconic descriptions of domestic life.
A sense of voyeurism, by means of framing, where no subject looks at the camera, we look upon the two always through a partially opened doorway.
As if we are almost invited in.
A mixture of black and white and color photography.
A Mexican dad, 60's, and his adult son, late 30's. The location is sand. Miles of sand. An old, run down car. Hood up. Working.
A sand castle.
An Asian dad, 40's, with his infant son. Small, Chinatown apartment. Lit by the light from the only window in the one room walk-up. Run-down, but neat. Pride.
Caring. Things in place. Food. Kitchen.
A White dad, late 20's-early 30's. Young son, 6-7 years old. Carnival setting. On the rides. In each other's arms. Candy cones. Both with belted overcoats, European in style.
A black dad, late 60's, spends the day with his father, late 80's, at the dad's retirement home. Playing cards. Sleeping. Wheeling around in the wheelchair.
Looking at old photos. Sitting at a table with the photo of another son lost in a war somewhere. A lifetime.
A pregnant woman. Black. Anywhere. Her belly for the world to see.

Maybe the video ends with Will's wonderful quote: "I live, love and work every second of every day, hoping to make you proud of who I am."

<< back to treatments