Discharging Grief By Helping Others

Discharging Grief by Helping Others

Bruce Von Stiers

Sometimes grief has a way of enveloping your entire being. So much so that you can't seem to move forward with your life. You feel isolated and alone, even when there are others around you. This is the essence of the short drama film, Discharge.

Ben Keller is just going through the motions of life. He is distant from his wife, Ally, and his daughter. Ally needs him to get to the other side of the grief that he's feeling.

Ben goes to his therapist. He talks all around his pain. She gives him some solid advice.

We find out that Ben is a detective on the police force. He and his partner Dave, learn of a possible suicide from the young man's sister.

It is from Ben trying to help the young man that somehow his grief is lessened. And he can now find his way back to a life that includes his wife and daughter.

Ken Swartz plays Ben Keller. He appeared in shows such as Bull and Blue Bloods and the soap operas One Life To Live and As The World Turns. He also appeared in several films, including the action thriller Jersey Justice. Swartz also produced the film. And he wrote the screenplay from a story by him and Danielle Guldin. With almost thirty screen acting credits, this is Guldin's first listed film storyline.

Jamie Askew is Ally Keller. She appeared in the series Feud and Evil along with several short films, along with starring and directing the limited series Jamie Is Having A Very Bad Day.

Gabrielle Lee plays the therapist. She has appeared in episodes of Bull, FBI and Blue Bloods and films such as Coming of Age 2 and 27 Candles. Ross Alden is Ben's partner, Dave. He's been in episodes of FBI and The Equalizer. Nadia Ramdass plays a police officer who brings Mira to the detectives.

Maya Benharush plays Mira, the girl who came to the police about her brother. She starred in the short drama film One Last Time. And Daniel Frrooqui plays Michael. He starred in the limited series Akelay Sath Mien and has appeared in series such as The Blacklist.

The film was directed by Ryan Metcalf and cinematography and editing was done by him as well. As an actor, he's appeared in The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel and Law & Order: SVU. He has fourteen screen credits as a cinematographer and three as a director.

The song First Snow by Beneath The Mountain provides a bit of soothing, ambient sound. And the Moby song, This Wild Darkness, is featured at the end of the film.

I wasn't sure the direction the film was taking me as I watched it. Was Ben's grief so severe that he'll never get over it? Even if it would cost him his marriage? Would he be able to save Michael from himself?

I liked Discharge. I thought that the story was well presented, although if it had been a little longer, the characters could have been fleshed out a bit more. Ben's grief was somewhat understated but was palatable. And the theme of letting go by helping someone else made the film moving without being overdramatic or too sappy.

Discharge has won several awards, including Best Actor at the 2024 Vancouver International Shortfest and is an official selection at several other film festivals. It has also been submitted to the Santa Clarita International Film Festival for a possible spot in this year's festival.

Discharge has a social media page on Instagram, https://www.instagram.com/discharge_film/

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