I first met Martin Kramer when he was about 9 years old—his dad, artist David Kramer, brought him over to join in on a father/son therapy video I was creating. Martin is, above all else, a creative soul that marches to his own drummer. I can't help but think his highly active creative parents along with the myriad of opportunities that come with growing up in Manhattan have enriched his experiences, in many ways, from what might typically be assumed of a 19 year old sophomore at Concordia Film School in Montreal. Martin shares 2 of his films that he recently made at Concordia: Empty Nest and Blue Cowboy. WATCH THEM-they are only about 5 minutes each. EMPTY NEST: https://vimeo.com/332693808 BLUE COWBOY: https://vimeo.com/352360247

Both films are metaphorical but are directly born of Martin's emotional conflicts that he articulates surprisingly well for any adult filmmaker, and especially for one so young. Personally, I find it impressive to see any art that is so in touch and unafraid of personal revelations. In this case, as metaphors they are done tastefully as well, leaving plenty of room for interpretation and any viewer to see themselves in. We first discuss Empty Nest. The film shows an elderly woman at home and a dream she has about a young man whos photo is in a frame near an empty bird cage. We assume it's the woman's grandson. Martin and I discuss how this film was inspired by his feelings about leaving his parents, his grandfather at the time he was leaving New York for college in Montreal, right before he made this film. It was deep! Then on to Blue Cowboy. This involves Martin's thoughts about sexual identity which are also very well articulated and maybe too complex for me to describe accurately here since during this session, I learned a lot from Martin and don't want to interpret the conversation here. Martin and I were careful respecting boundaries and I think we did a good job. Listen to it for yourself!!!-do I have to tell you everything!