Films

In Attendance: David Lee Miller (Director)

“My name is Archibald Williams and I’m going to kill myself.” Archie, a 17-year-old media student announces that his final school video project will be filming his own suicide. As teachers sound the alarm, calling in shrinks and threatening expulsion, students around the school are alternately repelled by and attracted to Archie as he captures his own postmodern “Catcher in the Rye.” Archie’s video diary of the circus surrounding his announcement exposes the truths of life, which include death, sex, violence, drugs, and the hypocrisy of the modern media, which assaults all teens. Director David Lee Miller spent four years working with his son Jordan and lead actor Gabriel Sunday to create this affecting portrait, which authentically addresses the epidemic of teen suicide. The performances from the young cast are flawless, setting the foundation for My Suicide to celebrate and question Generation YouTube with its calibrated commentary of manipulated footage, animation, and 1950s-styled PSAs. Miller’s film is a lightning bolt into a hot topic that struggles to be understood. Through his command of the variety of media used by teens, he has crafted a film that will be a part of the discussion for years to come.

-- Seattle International Film Festival

This film has been rated: 14A - Content Advisory - Mature Subject Matter, Substance Abuse