The Brothers Karamazov (2014)

Micro budget shoot over 4 days in early 2014. The Brothers Karamazov was Dostoyevsky's final novel, and like 'Crime and Punishment', it's deeply psychological. Ostensibly, it's about parricide. But Dostoyevsky was far more concerned with the internal choices we all have before us and how our choice of focus determines the course of our lives. The more negative his characters become, the more fearful, the more angry and blameful, the more destructive they become to themselves and others. The characters that experience profound growth are the ones who accept that responsibility lies within them; that it doesn't matter what anyone else is up to - it's always the choice of the individual as to where they focus their attention. We are all confused at times. We all mis-step. We look back too much and are afraid to look forward. But, ultimately, we are blessed with free will and - at any moment - can take a completely different path from the one that we were on. As Alyosha and Grushenka show, we each have an internal guidance system which we must nurture and trust, which will always lead us to the best course of action for ourselves, our happiness, and the happiness of those that love us.