Takeoff

On the eve of his departure, an unhappy young man faces the explosive fallout his decision to travel causes in his relationship.

Creative team

Writer/director: Pierce Csurgo
Producers: Lindsay Christopher, Pierce Csurgo

Filmmaker’s statement

My short film, Takeoff, marked an important turning point in my filmmaking path. It was the first time that the setup of a film was based on lived, personal experience.

The protagonist, Alexander, is a reflection of myself at an earlier stage in life. Frustrated with a career in finance, desperate for escape but terrified of expression (and confrontation), I made a similar resolve to leave my established life behind to discover the world and get closer to my inner-self. While not as explosive and condensed as the 10-minute film, the impact the decision had on my romantic relationship at the time was just as significant.

In large part, the film operated as a way for me to explore the other side of making a life-changing decision. At the time I determined to go travel, I saw it as almost wholly positive. Years later, writing the script for the short, I could see there was empathy lacking in my youthful vision that I needed to atone for.

To show that Maya also has a valid and valuable perspective was key to making the film full in scope. I hoped to balance Alexander and Maya’s positions equally so the audience couldn’t easily side with one character over the other.

While we may feel it’s necessary to take off on our own adventures to break the mold of our stagnant lives, we must also appreciate the consequences of making such great decisions on those close to us.

About Pierce Csurgo

Pierce Csurgo is a writer, director and storyteller based in Toronto and LA.

Pierce is the writer and director of three short films: As Above, So Below (2017), Takeoff (2018) and Oh, Brother (2019). He is also the co-writer and co-director of the short web series, La Chasse (2017).

Pierce is the author of the upcoming novel, The Wanderer, based in part on his experiences in Asia and the Middle East.