DIRECTOR:

Melissa Kunnap

SYNOPSIS

Three individuals explore real-life experiences of being torn between two parts of their identities.

DIRECTOR BIOGRAPHY

Melissa Kunnap (she/her) is a Director/Actor/Writer living in Atlanta GA. She has been making films for the past 9 years. Her passion for diverse and inclusive storytelling is at the forefront of every project she works on.

DIRECTOR STATEMENT

Torn Together is a personal project five years in the making.  What started as a solo project exploring my own struggles with my biracial identity, evolved into a collaborative project with two amazing women creating the film that is Torn Together. I fell in love with the experimental genre and its unique ability to explore concepts through visuals and sound to capture specific emotions. 

Torn Together at its core is about the real-life experiences that make three people question who and what they are.  All of the dialogue in this film, are real statements that have been said to us or something we've said to ourselves. From the most simple and innocuous comments to the heinous insults and slurs, each made us question our identity. We are all lucky enough to have had something or someone that helped us find our way. My hope for this film is that it can serve as a beacon of solidarity for anyone struggling with their identity. 

Frances Chang - co-writer and creator

Torn Together is about the inner struggle of finding your true identity. Being a part of this project illustrates the conflict many first generation offspring of immigrants face when trying to assimilate to the social norms of their peers while trying to live up to the cultural expectations of their parents and family. It's deeply meaningful to be able to create this film with my friends, Melissa and Ava, who have their own individual conflicts with identity. By telling our stories, we are able to share our unique struggles in a way that many others are able to relate to in their own journeys.

Ava Davis- co-writer and creator

Torn Together was incredibly healing to not only write but also to make with these incredible women. For me, the importance lies in how we’re able to use film, and especially the genre of horror, to tackle our own fears and traumas, and find a way to release them. I feel like this short encapsulates so well the feeling I have of being torn between my male and female identities, and energies, and so fully and succinctly showcases the journey I’ve taken in self-realization.