As a state and local leader, I asked for pledges so we could get this film into theaters and into the mainstream. THANK YOU so much for those pledges! After showing at film festivals this past season, it has been picked up! But will be premiering on Lifetime.
To be honest, at first I was a little letdown. The writer and director, Sean Hanish, worked so hard on making him and his wife's journey with their son, into a film. Upon completion, he fought along with the baby loss community to get this film seen worldwide.
Getting a movie like this to be shown in theaters, would truly break the silence on baby loss and stillbirth. It would be a huge step in raising awareness, and would be the first of its kind.
To hear that its big debut would be a TV debut was a bit of a letdown.
After 60 seconds of feeling that way, I started to shift my thinking. Maybe, it's actually better that way...
The point of creating this film was to raise awareness in a very different and real way. In order to break the silence, people not only need to hear about it and sign a pledge sheet, but see it.
With this kind of debut, I think we'll be able to reach a wider audience with people getting to watch it at no cost and from their own home. At the end of the day, it isn't about money or rising to the top of the box office charts. It's about breaking the silence and getting as many people as we can to not shun away from stillbirth and baby loss, but to watch it. Learn about it. Reflect on it. Get a glimpse into the lives of baby loss parents and their journey following losing their child. As well as their journey getting pregnant again after a loss.
This film is close to us because our daughter Lyla was stillborn. Besides being a heartbreaking journey carrying her, it also brought challenges in the aftermath of losing her and us 'returning to zero'. I try my best to accurately put our story into words so that whoever our audience may be, they may feel what we felt, and journey with us. But seeing it on film, is very special and unique.
Besides premiering here in the U.S., it will also be premiering on Lifetime in Canada, the U.K., Southeast Asia, Hong Kong, and other to be announced territories. This is huge and such an accomplishment. I am even more convinced that this was exactly the route this film needed to take in order to reach as many people as possible. Check out this article in The Hollywood Reporter.
This film also journey's into the struggles of getting pregnant again as we did with our rainbow baby Harlow. Although this is Sean and his wife's story, it aligns itself with our personal story as well. I cannot wait for the debut and hope you set your DVR's and join us in breaking the silence and submerging yourself into this film on loss.
3-1=0.
World premiere of Return to Zero:
Saturday, May 17, 2014 on Lifetime.
