DUST was completed in the summer of 2022, following the Highland Park parade shooting. In response to the tragedy, this film was finished as an expression of my community’s grief. As a resident of a town only ten minutes from Highland Park, the events of July 4th set me into action. For another crew member whose family was present at the parade, this project manifested itself even more personally. We felt that creating a story of overcoming loss from gun violence was vital as my hometown was reeling from the realization that tragedy spares no one. While set in the early 1850s, the themes of this narrative transcend time, as the story of a farmer mourning his brother comes into focus.