January – The Sea Is Blue

The Sea Is Blue by Vincent Peone

Writer and director Vincent Peone tells the story of a young girl falling overboard at sea and having a magical experience in the ocean’s depths… a poignant metaphor for what he thought might be going on in his sister’s mind while she was in a life-threatening coma. Peone wrote this intimate and touching film years ago and finally had the means to bring it to life.

Director’s statement

I feel it would be a disservice not to tell the story of how this film came to be. A decade ago, my life was almost unrecognizable. My family was thrust into turmoil when a fire tore through my childhood home, badly injuring my mom and kid sisters. There aren’t words for the feeling I had when I thought I might lose my family. I wasn’t alone for long. My mom,Doreen was alright, and while Angelina had suffered severe injuries, she was on a clear recovery path.

All attention then turned to the middle kid, Dina, who had sustained third degree burns to nearly seventy percent of her body. Months of harrowing uncertainty lay ahead as Dina fought through a drug-induced coma – my mom, Angie, and the rest of our family waiting patiently by her side. The doctors tried to manage our expectations, calling the situation “touch and go” at best. We never stopped believing that Dina would pull through. To make painfully slow-moving minutes go by, I decided to write a story. I imagined Dina was off on a profound adventure, struggling to make her way home. After three long months, Dina woke up. She grew strong again. Both of my sisters have gone on to pursue their dreams these past ten years, making me the proudest brother. Their strength and confidence inspires me to this very minute! Somewhere along the way, I decided I was ready to share the story I wrote by Dina’s bedside.