Foster siblings Vincent and Krystal (Patrick D. Green and Kelly Godell) have been estranged for many years. When they are forced to reunite, their polar opposite paths in life lead to an explosive outcome where each is made to come to terms with their own faults.
Vincent is a pastor living in the Pacific Northwest. During his childhood, his best friend was his foster sister, Krystal. The two regularly found themselves in all sorts of trouble which brought no end of frustration to their parents. Broken by the death of their minister father, Vincent committed his life to the church and began a career behind the pulpit. This decision directly led to a falling out between him and Krystal. Over the last two years, Vincent wrote her letters of an increasingly personal nature. These “confessions” reveal his crisis of faith and a suppression of his sexuality. His best friend is Marcus (Jonathan Daniel Miles), a fellow pastor at the church, who Vincent’s affection for has developed into something he knows must be kept hidden.
A self-proclaimed hedonist, Krystal lives every day basking in the moment. After Vincent left town to begin his time at seminary, she decided to dedicate her life to the theatre, a passion she has held since childhood. Today she is a well-respected actress in town with a reputation for bringing “a foul mouth and a good time” wherever she goes. She finds immense pride in always striving to be authentic to who she is, even if she does not like what she sees. After receiving a series of letters from Vincent, Krystal finally responds with a hurtful message for her brother to move on in his life and leave her alone.
As each other’s closest confidant as well as biggest critic, Vincent and Krystal attract and repel like magnets. When the siblings reunite, everything comes to a head, both within their relationship and within each of their individual lives.
“Escaping Freedom is about two very different people. They can see the apparent faults in the other while completely ignoring their own. How long can this dance last without failing? On the surface these two are polar opposites, but when you look a little deeper, they are truly two sides of the same coin,” said writer-director Edd Blott.
“It’s the same for all of us. We are neither Vincent nor Krystal. We are all BOTH Vincent and Krystal. That is ultimately what Escaping Freedom is about. We are complex creatures with the capacity to love, feel pain and deep fears, and exude incredible strength. When the credits roll, I hope you see a bit more clearly that you and the person sitting next to you are in this world together. Both are worthy of being loved, by others and, maybe even more importantly, by his/her/their own self.”
Watch the trailer for Escaping Freedom below. The film is now available on Dekkoo.
