A Hard Truth For Hope

Bruce Von Stiers

What would you do to secure a job? For the average person, that may mean just doing a great job interview, perhaps having a connection or two with the potential employer. But for people in the entertainment industry, the norms of securing a blue collar or white collar job just don't apply. An actor, even if they killed the audition, may not be what the casting people were looking for. And models are under much more scrutiny.

Hard Truths is a short drama film that deals with the scrutiny that models fall under.

Hope is an attractive young woman who happens to be a model. She's at a studio, having her hair and makeup done for a photo shoot. Peter, who is helping guide Hope's career, has news he's reluctant to share with her.

Both Lem, the session photographer, and Meg the makeup artist, seem enthused about Hope and her career. But Danny, who's Hope's husband, warns Peter about not messing things up for her.

What really brings things into focus in the film is the conversation that Peter has with Hope. There are certain conditions that Hope has to meet in order to work with a specific person. What if the conditions are met and yet it still won't be enough? What if, after this job, further conditions and demands will be required for other modeling jobs? Those are the hard truths that make themselves known during the conversation between Hope and Peter.

The film takes the modeling industry to task for the drive for a model to fit a certain body type and mental attitude. Hope laments on being categorized as a plus size model, when she really isn't.

Paige Hoover was Hope. She also co-wrote the screenplay. Paige has written and starred in several short films, including the micro-short drama Two Faced and the horror film Friends Forever.

Joy Kapp was Meg, the makeup artist. She co-starred in the horror film Perdition.

Ira Cross was the photographer, Lem. He also co-starred in Perdition and also For Ayizan.

Patrick Johnson was Danny. He has almost forty acting credits, including roles in Treasure of the Ninja 2 and All Your Friends Are Dead.

Timothy J. Cox was Peter. He co-wrote the screenplay with Paige Hoover. He has well over a hundred fifty acting credits, including a film I just reviewed, After. He's also produced a dozen films and written screenplays for several films, including this one.

The film was directed by Maya Ahmed. She also co-produced the film with Timothy and Paige. Maya was the assistant director for the film I just mentioned, After. The director of photography was Thomas Angeletti. He directed After, Snowy Glade, For Ayizan and several other films.

Questions remain at the end of the film. Will Hope do what's needed to meet those conditions that are required for the job? Or will she tell them what they can do with the job and the preposterous conditions?

Hard Truths is a compelling drama. While taking the model industry to task, the film does present a harsh philosophical question. What would you do to secure a job?

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© 2025 Bruce E Von Stiers