Mike Doyle – Passing Through #LFF38

April 26, 2023

Mike Doyle - Passing Through #LFF38 fredfilmradio

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PODCAST | Federica Scarpa interviews Mike Doyle, director of the film Passing Through.

In his second feature film as director, Mike Doyle explores new genres and territories in Passing Through, an introspective film in which the protagonist faces himself and his demons. Doyle tells us how the idea for this very personal film was born, shot during a 10-day journey in which challenges and difficulties were not lacking.

Passing Through: After months of witnessing devastating loss, Mike finds he hasn’t the strength to leave his apartment nor the will to face another day of sickness and death. As a frontline healthcare worker, he has been stretched to his limit, and he can no longer bear the pain. Mike holes up in his apartment, stuck, deeply depressed, not knowing how he will emerge intact. As a pandemic rages outside his door, he slowly finds the strength to carry on and break free, and decides to embark on a journey across the country to rediscover himself and what he has lost over these past several grueling months. Mike orders some camping gear and tests it in his apartment. Everything seems like it is going to work out for him on this new adventure. But something is not quite right. Once on the road and isolated in the great expanse of America, Mike begins to encounter strange things. He wonders if he’s losing his mind or something more nefarious is at play. In the idyll of the open road, Mike confronts his past and breaks free of the bonds that have held him captive, only to discover that everything is not at all what he thought it was. Ultimately, Mike is released, but his catharsis retains a hint of mystery – was Mike the agent of change or a victim of his circumstances? Either way, he has passed through to something beautiful and new.

Written by: fredfilmradio

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