THE HEART OF TEXAS

Short Talk with Gregory JM Kasunich (director)

USA / 2024 / 14’54’’

BEST FICTION FILM Category

21st IN THE PALACE International Short Film Festival 2024

Synopsis: Janie May, an aspiring country singer, learns that she’s a radio contest finalist during her shift at a diner in Waco, TX. She must race to the station to sing for a hometown music hero in hopes of winning the opening act spot on his upcoming tour. In a dash to the studio, she collides into an undocumented worker who refuses medical care or police assistance out of fear of being deported. The two engage in a struggle, each in pursuit of their own American dreams.

Biography: Gregory JM Kasunich is an award winning film, commercial and music video writer, director, and producer from Pittsburgh, PA. His body of work includes projects for Taylor Swift, The Pentatonix, The Summer Set, DreamWorks, Disney, Lucasfilm, General Mills, DirectTV, Mattel, iHeatRadio, and many others. His editorial and portrait photography has been published in several periodicals. His films have been nominated and awarded in festivals the world over.

Gregory JM Kasunich, Director

Raya Hristova (author): In this movie there's like a big moral dilemma. What is the meaning behind the name HEART OF TEXAS?

Gregory JM Kasunich (director): The story follows this woman, her name is Janie, she's an aspiring singer, songwriter in Texas and on her way to a life-changing radio performance she hits an immigrant, an undocumented worker, wounds him, where he's almost about to die and he's resisting any sort of medical treatment and any help from the cops because he's afraid of being found out and deported and he wants to stay in Texas to support his family, so that's the core of the moral dilemma. THE HEART OF TEXAS it comes from a phrase, which is from a song called “Deep in the Heart of Texas”, which is very famous song in Texas it is sort of asking a question: “What is the heart and what is the in the Heart of Texas”, it is kind of the heart of the United States on a much bigger level, Texas kind of operates as a microcosm for the rest of the country, but it's very much its own thing. So, is it ambition, is it music, is it people from other countries, who come and support the economy and work there, is it law enforcement? I mean all these aspects are at the heart of what it means to Texas and what it means to be American and sort of that's what we were interrogating in this in this piece.

Raya Hristova (author): In the end she still goes to this casting for the audition after everything that
just happened to her to follow her dreams. Do you think that she can pay the price of her dream after
this? 

Gregory JM Kasunich (director): If she wins this competition, she's going to be doomed for the rest of her life to sing this song that's emotionally connected to this experience, so, forever, if she wins, she's going to have the guilt and that story as part of her winning. If she loses this competition then what was it all for, right? She went through this horrible experience, hurt this person, kind of got away with it and yet her life has not changed at all. I think it's up to the audience to decide what they think happens.

Raya Hristova (author): She goes through emotional catharsis, what changed inside of her?

Gregory JM Kasunich (director): In the beginning of the film, she works amongst you know people, who may or not be undocumented who work in the kitchen, which is very common in the US and she like literally bumps into a guy and doesn't really see him, doesn't acknowledge him and at the end she's back in that radio station and has a similar experience where she sort of runs into somebody and she says I'm sorry it's my fault and she acknowledge that. So, I think that, unfortunately, a lot of times it takes a really powerful shocking thing to happen to people to have them wake up and see people for who they are and the humanity of people even though they're part of your world you may not recognize them or acknowledge them. I think, if nothing else, she at least has learned that lesson that everyone is as American as she is.

Author's View:

This story hits us with a wave of different emotions, from simple surprise to complete shock. The plot of events is dynamic, the character development is well shown. Watching the actions of the protagonist, we see how much her life turns over in just a few hours and how much she changes. Excessive events lead to inner catharsis and guilt that she will have to carry for the rest of her life. 

Every action we take has consequences. And we don't realize it until we are presented with unavoidable circumstances. But then it's too late to change anything.

Here the director puts us in the shoes of the leading character. While facing a desperate situation together with her, he makes us act, think on the moment, brings us an adrenaline rush, increases our heart rate, shakes us off and by this opens our eyes on certain things.

By accompanying the concept with a famous song and revealing its meaning, he also inspires us to find answers to questions that might appear right before us.