USA / 2024 / 85 min / English / Drama
When a young minister struggles with the death of his only son, he is forced to question his faith as he searches for meaning in a time of suffering.
A remarkable feature debut by Aaron Inman showing great promise with a true flair for storytelling.
Director & Writer: / Producers: / Cinematography: / Editor: / Cast: / Contact: aaronminman@gmail.com
DIRECTOR: Aaron Inman is a multifaceted filmmaker based out of Los Angeles and Florida. He has written and directed nine short films. Shepherd is his feature film debut. His work explores transcendental stories of faith and belief, bringing hope in humanity through pain and suffering.
DIRECTOR STATEMENT: Shepherd is a film that took me 8 years to get made, and it is my feature film debut. Using my own savings account to finance the film, with a production budget close to $20,000 and a crew of only 5 people…it is a true independent film. Wearing multiple hats, I was not only the writer/director, but editor, sound mixer, costume designer, locations manager and sometimes director of photography. In addition to an incredible cast, we placed real people from the area (first timers), and had them interact with the cast. This brought a realism to the world that could not be scripted, providing a unique glimpse into the African American faith community.
Shepherd peels back the mask and uncovers my greatest fear as a father: losing a child. To have an innocent soul ripped away with no explanation or answer is something that I grapple with every day. Unfortunately, this narrative of “gone too soon” is the life story of a few close friends of mine. Having experienced this kind of loss through their eyes, watching the grief tear their families apart created a swirl of emotions inside me: pain, fear and regret. Begging the question to be asked: “Why a child?”
This is something I still don’t have an answer for.
This is why Shepherd was made.
Contact: aaronminman@gmail.com
Special Guests: Aaron Inman, Julian Gant
Sponsored by:
