Director’s Statement

First and foremost, I want to thank Idrissa Sanogo Bamba for trusting me with his poem last year. In the peak of quarantine, Idrissa wrote a poem which he titled “One Day”. A masterpiece in itself, the poem spoke of a wondering soul’s wish of making his vulnerability a strength. Idrissa came to me with this idea and we tried to film it just like we did “Time and Space”. For reasons out of our control, this project was shelved. A year later, I was a different man when I tackled this project again. I had gone through my own battle with vulnerability and I realized that this challenge was more universal than we first thought. I almost lost out on an amazing experience because of my fear of vulnerability. I asked Idrissa his permission to mess around with his poem and ended up writing my own. I didn’t know where I was heading until I finished. With some fiction and some realism, this film became my heart. It is a part of my soul and in association a part of the human experience. I know a lot of people will see themselves in “Josh” and I hope they will give vulnerability a chance. You’ll probably never get rid of the fear.. but God put the best things in life on the other side of it. I’ll forever be grateful to you.

Credits

“I Wish I could Bathe In My Vulnerability”

A Poem by Ivan D. Ossa

There’s a battle happening inside of me. One that’s always been fought. Each time it feels like I'm getting control, I'm reminded that's a luxury I never got..

Why can’t I tell her that I’m broken inside? It hurts to watch her go by. The table was once turned, I won't lie, she left me broken…Now what hurts is my pride.  

And I-.. I wish I could bathe in my vulnerability. Be at peace with it.. be at peace with me.. Is this really me? It can’t be. 

I can’t be soft, it’s my father who raised me. If I screamed right now would anyone save me?
Because I don’t want to feel like I’m drowning. In an open ocean like shark bait waiting to die. Watching the sharks incoming but never arrive. I wanna thrive! Be free to explore… I wanna survive.

One step forward and twelve steps back. Every time i’m close I feel a tug.. An attack. And I wish I could bathe in my vulnerability. 

I wish I could wear it the way the sky wears the clouds. The way the space wears the stars, a deity with vows. I wish I could just say it out-loud…

And I do. I don't know but there's something different about you. I love the way you smile. Your voice soothes my inner child. It's you..

My world was once a cold abyss. Now the world seems a lil brighter, my heart feels a little lighter, I've never known a love like this. I look forward to our morning kiss.

But I'm still scared. I wish I was more prepared but there won't be a redo. The voice in my head says don't you dare but I know better now than to lose you.

I don't know what the future holds it's true. But I chose to open my heart to you.

I love you.