I believe in second chances, I believe in redemption and I believe that we can learn to be better human beings even in the most difficult situations of our lives.

Stan Leone is a lost soul, frustrated by the circumstance of his life and angered over the loss of his youngest son Billy. As a man he has not yet learned how to take responsibility for his action, a child who blames the world for his afflictions and pain. His immaturity and his grief turn into violence and abuse he unleashes on the people closest to him. However Stan is not a lost cause. He is as troubled as he is charming, an anti – hero we begin to like because we relate to his tragic flaws. He represents everything we despise about a man and about a father. However if we examine and look at his character closely we might discover some similarities to our own lives. There is more then just black and white. It is precisely those shades of grey that I am mostly interested in. A good story should always serve as a mirror; an image that doesn’t lie. Although a dark subject matter, In the Lower 9th is as real as life itself where tears and laughter are often very close together. It’s the story about a family overcoming their fears, understanding how to build a better future for themselves and learning how to deal with their pain.

The loss of a loved one is not a temporary, but rather a permanent state of mind. We gradually learn how to deal with it and the result is a void that becomes part of our daily routine. Sadness remains sadness as happiness remains happiness. They don’t exclude each other but rather become one. The same is true for this story; it’s not just a sad story, it’s simply how I experience life. It’s a multidimensional, complex experience; a permanent work in progress.