Beginning Tuesday, December 14, Birth of Separation will be available for DVD purchase and Video On Demand rental. In conjunction with the global release of the film by acclaimed independent film distribution outlet Indieflix, Birth of Separation will be screened as the feature presentation of the New Filmmaker’s Screening Series at the Anthology Film Archive in New York City on December 15th (32 Second Avenue, New York, NY 10003). The filmmakers will be in attendance and available for discussion following the screening.
Birth of Separation is a piece that forces the audience to come face to face with violence, the motivating factors behind it, and the havoc it wreaks on both the onscreen characters as well as the audience experiencing the film. Despite being constrained by a tight shooting schedule and “shoe-string” budget, the crew emerged with a film bigger than any of them had ever imagined.

Birth of Separation follows the daily happenings of Elizabeth, a pregnant housewife preparing to welcome her second child into the world. A knock at the door breaks the morning monotony. A young man, Jerome, greets her at the doorstep. His voice drips with despair as he clutches a stack of missing persons posters. Feeling an affinity for the young man, Elizabeth invites him in for a cup of coffee.

Elizabeth asks of the radiant young boy on the flier, but the conversation flips and Elizabeth’s family life comes into question. Unnerved by his candor, Elizabeth asks Jerome to leave. When the conversation turns uncomfortable for Elizabeth, Jerome manipulates his way further into the home, which allows him to indulge in violence and fear. Holding Elizabeth captive, Jerome only has one request: to become better acquainted. Through a series of questions Jerome exacts meaning in his otherwise questionable existence and brings deep-seated secrets into light.

Birth of Separation was written and directed by newcomer Louis Mansfield and produced by Dennis Hanley and Andrew P. Aguilar. The film features gripping, captivating performances by Philadelphia locals Steve Saturn and Ashley-Rebekah Faulkner. The cinematography was crafted by Philadelphia’s own Adrian Sierkowski, and the original score was composed by Jay Wasley.

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