On Friday, the filmmakers of Take Me Home returned to Bonnet Springs Park in Lakeland, FL, where the film’s imaginative final act was shot, for a poignant homecoming screening ahead of its limited theatrical release starting Sep 23.
The film was also shot at star Anna Sargent’s family home in Orlando, FL and included area locals in the cast and crew.
Take Me Home tells the story of the fictional character Anna, who cares for her aging parents in a fragile balance of meeting one another’s needs until a Florida heat wave shatters their routine. Alongside her sister Emily (Ali Ahn) and her father (Victor Slezak), they must confront challenging questions about the future, but Anna remains determined to build a life where all of them can thrive. Full list of awards the film has received is here.
The event also offered the opportunity for attendees to take part in a national listening campaign called 1 Million Care Conversations, anchored by national advocacy organization Caring Across Generations, designed to invite families, caregivers, parents, care recipients and professional care works to share their own experiences and ideas for how to make care easier.
“I can’t believe we wrapped filming less than a year ago! Filming in Florida in August was challenging, but Take Me Home has always been a love letter to my sister and parents, whose lives are so deeply shaped by this state. Bonnet Springs represented the potential and possibility of what a community can be—a place where people can gather with fresh air, good food, and experience true accessibility. It felt like magic to celebrate this deeply personal story with the cast, crew, and community who brought it to life. But the most meaningful part was watching my parents see the film for the first time and showing them that their struggles and vulnerabilities are not theirs alone. Their story is shared by so many families navigating caregiving, and this screening gave us an opportunity to imagine the possibilities for a future beyond survival.” –Liz Sargent, Writer-Director, Take Me Home
“The authenticity of this story is what drew us to get involved – both in how it captures the specific experiences of this family and the complexities faced by millions of families across the country who are navigating care in some way. We’re also proud to connect this film with the national listening project 1 Million Care Conversations, inviting people to share their ideas about how to make care easier for us all.” –Lydia Storie, Executive Producer, Take Me Home
“When I saw the proof of concept short through CAPE’s Julia S Gouw film grant, it immediately resonated with me as someone who is also an adoptee with a disabled sibling. So when I learned the feature film was going to shoot in Florida, I knew I wanted to be involved. The script described a Florida that I hadn’t seen in narrative film— a Florida that felt immediate and true to the one I grew up in. It is a central character in the film – for those of us who live here, it feels true to our lives, the places we know, even the way the weather shapes our days. It led to a raw and authentic story— characteristics that are true to the state it depicts.–Aubrey Meiling, Co-Producer, Take Me Home
