Told through individual stories with families, and grief experts, the documentary explores how we can normalize grief in our society and actively help others to process the pain of losing a loved one. Actor-author Anthony Rapp (Broadway’s RENT, StarTrek: Discovery), author and grief expert David Kessler (Finding Meaning, ABC Good Morning America contributor) and actor John Farley ( the brother of late comedian Chris Farley), will attend the world premiere on Sun July 2 @ 12:15 PM to share their experiences dealing with grief, both personally and collectively, in a country reeling from multiple tragic events in recent years.
“Meet Me Where I Am” is directed by Grant Garry and produced by Stacy Roque, Lisa Kauls and Sharolyn Schmiederer. James Slaven, Director of Photography, worked with Garry for the duration of production, collaborating on their worldwide tour of interviews for the film, The 86 minute documentary also features a mixture of families, counselors, grief advocates and experts including Ron Marasco, Julie Shaw, Cynthia O’Neal, Donna Schuurman, Jana DeCristofaro, Lisa Kauls, Mike Reynolds, Ken Ithiphol, Alicia Forneret, Julisa Golden, and Natalie Kazarian.
Director Garry has always been curious about grief, from his first experience when his grandmother died when he was a teenager to his most recent loss, the death of his uncle. "Meet Me Where I Am" is the culmination of that curiosity, and a dedication to ensuring we all feel better equipped to talk about grief. “After being contacted by our film’s executive producer, Lisa Kauls, and hearing her story, I knew her grief and others’ grief must be witnessed. I was honored to sit down with some of the world’s most renowned grief experts as well as individuals with lived experiences. The rare opportunity this film provides is that the expert talkers also have unique experiences of grief themselves, “ says Garry.
On a recent episode of the Grief Out Loud Blog hosted by Jana DeCristofaro and produced by Dougy Center, Garry shared the impetus behind his project.
"A big theme of the film is normalizing just talking about it. And most people want to talk about it," he said.
One takeaway Garry personally internalized was that grief and gratitude can co-exist and that it's ok to talk about and find joy remembering your loved one.
"It's not like bringing it up is going to remind them that their person died -- they know and they carry it with them every day."
Grant Garry is a filmmaker and actor. He is the director of the new documentary Meet Me Where I Am - Which explores the topic of grief through individual stories of loss, love, and hope.
Grant earned his degree in Theatre Arts from Loyola Marymount University. He has studied improv at The Groundlings School, acting in musical theatre with Jason Alexander, and is a Certified Grief Educator. He has a passion for singing, long-form conversations, nonfiction literature, meditation, writing, coffee, and cars.
He previously produced and acted in Black Cat, currently available on Amazon Prime. Other acting credits include NCIS: Los Angeles, Night of the Living Deb, Sweeney Todd, and Cinderella. His upcoming documentary film, Room for Cream: The Coffee Experience, will explore how humans experience coffee.
