I had access to a great camera and lenses one day so asked Dre to meet us at Jones Beach during sunrise. The plan was to sneak in and do our thing until we got stopped for not having a permit.

We didn't want to play music that would attract outside attention so Dre danced to the raw sounds of the ocean. Luckily, his partner Cecil was also there to read out loud a poem Dre had written. Dre danced to Cecil's cadence and ocean's sounds over and over again while Matt followed with his camera. We did this until we got kicked out.

When I came home and sat with the dailies, it wasn't clear what this project was. I only knew that I did not want to make just another dance video. So I called him.

"Can I hang out with your parents?" I met Macia and Chris on a Saturday.
I went into the quietest room in the house with each of them, separately, and placed a recorder in their hands. "Dre danced a love letter to his life, a declaration of what you both helped create. Will you record one for him? Things you may have already told him, wished you could tell him, things you may have hesitated sharing with him...just anything you'd like him to have in your own voice, in your own words. This video may outlive us all."

Neither the parents nor Dre knew what they recorded for each other until this Saturday, a pandemic year and half later.

This confession is dedicated to the parents who choose to love us as best as they can, in spite of themselves.

And always, to the children inside all of us.

06.19.2021 [NYC]