The Heart to Extreme Decisions: Finding Acceptance when Family Can’t
How can familial relationships improve when family members disappoint and conflict continues? Between political differences and unstable upbringings, follow two separate stories of people who tried to better their close connections, felt stuck and learned how to navigate through trauma and the pain from not feeling accepted.
By finding security with like-minded people who share their core values, they have a stronger sense of community.
Why this project?
2016 brought a lot of change and dysfunction came forward to the public eye. The media reported stories on how family members refused to speak with one another due to political differences, sometimes leaving people emotionally scarred.
This project was inspired by the stories I heard from people in my own life who experienced similar things. From the beginning, it evolved to deeper roots beyond political differences, where intergenerational trauma exists.
How do people heal from immeasurable suffering, especially when they experienced adversities early on?
This documentary shows that healing is a process. It explains how Melissa and Tovio found a sense of belonging and growth from their chosen families, and for them that was needed for their emotional wellbeing.
William Chopik found in his study, Association among relational values, support, health, and wellbeing across the adult lifespan, that adults have an increased quality of life, without any regard to their family, if they have strong friendships. This is even more important as they age.
By discontinuing certain familial relationships and finding solace with people who share similar core values (chosen family), we learn that maybe Tovio and Melissa have subconsciously decided to break the cycle of inherited trauma, and focus on relationships that bring safety and support.