Faith, Universal Connections at Heart of Media Arts Capstone Film 'Father of Man'

Department of Theatre and Media Arts

As directing student Barrett Burgin contemplated story ideas he could pitch as a potential media arts fiction capstone, he found himself being pulled in a direction he didn’t expect. Burgin had long been interested in directing thrillers and telling stories with a dark psychological element — especially narratives which pull from local culture and lore — but this time around he felt inspiration coming from an even more personal influence in his life: his own faith.

“Father of Man” follows Boyd, a man who passes into the next life following a heart attack, leaving behind a complicated relationship with his estranged son, Emmett. Upon arriving on the other side, Boyd is recruited by an angel assigned to watch over Emmett, who is facing an urgent situation: Emmett is contemplating leaving his wife and unborn child as he questions his role as a future father. Boyd must confront his own unresolved feelings toward his son as he tries to guide Emmett away from making the worst decision of his life.

“I thought it would be interesting to explore strained family relationships in an authentic way, without any fluff,” said Burgin, who both wrote and directed the film. “I also wanted to incorporate a kind of spirituality. It’s a family drama set in a world with Latter-day Saint aesthetics and imagery, but it’s not a religious film — this is a universal human story set within a context that is personal to me.”READ MORE