As far back as I can remember, I always wanted to be a filmmaker, but I worried I would never have enough resources to make a feature. So I made a list of every resource I did have at my disposal, and I always came back to the most important resource in my life: my strong, close-knit family.

Now, my family may not know how to make a film, but they do know how to make home movies. In fact, they have hours and hours of old home videos from the ‘80s and ‘90s. Births, baptisms, Christmas mornings, and more: all there in glorious glitching, staticky, color-bleeding VHS. My family might not be able to offer me the traditional resources to make a movie, but they are able to provide me with a treasure trove of time capsules to mine.

As I poured over these home videos as an adult, I couldn’t help but feel a profound appreciation for the gifts in my life. I had an incredible desire to share a story about the importance of maintaining gratitude for your gifts instead of resentment for what you lack. I wondered what it would be like to be in the mind of someone who lacked my solid support system while facing the most extreme of circumstances.

Normal Accidents is the story of Ethan Moseley, a young man who has forgotten to appreciate the blessings in his life. When Ethan finds himself in an unthinkable scenario, isolated and surrounded by nuclear radiation, he must reflect on his own digital flashbacks as well as his unresolved mental health struggles before he can move forward.

This film was an incredible opportunity to work with an outstanding collection of talented artists to share an important story about often overlooked men’s mental health issues. Producer Chris Sangster designed an incredible soundscape that places viewers into the fractured mind of Ethan along his journey. Composer James Wakefield’s tense and eerie folk-inspired musical score created the unique ambience that both haunts and motivates Ethan. And actor Lee Ellis provided an indelible supporting performance this is sure to entertain, inspire, and get under your skin. We were incredibly lucky that many additional cast & crew members also shared their talents in order to bring this film to life.

And it all starts with those old VHS tapes. They have been repurposed, not to tell the story of my family, but to tell a new story: the story of Ethan and his family. My authentic home videos weave in and out of this story in goofy, heartfelt, and poignant ways never before done in a narrative film. These grainy, lo-fi home movies are the guiding light for Normal Accidents, not in spite of what they lack but because of what they lack. After all, real life doesn’t exist in the picture perfect image but in the flaws, mishaps, and pixelated glitches.

Kevin Hershner
Writer, Producer, & Director