Before the Storm (2021)

Post respective break-up and divorce, JULIE and her estranged father, ALAN arrive in New York City to see through the possibility of their living together for the first time- on the eve a hurricane threatens to make landfall on the city. Numbed by the pang of quarter-life-uncertainty, Julie hopes to find refuge in Alan, but as the evening progresses- her attempts to bond with him are met with resistance- as Alan seems more inclined to push her away than re-establish a relationship- and the pair find their existential uneasiness amplified by the city, not pacified. Despite the growing prospect of the storm hitting, Alan remains unperturbed- and with the discovery of a prescription bottle in Alan's bag- Julie soon learns the storm is not the only thing he's avoiding. But instead of confront him head on- Julie takes off into the night - only to find that no matter where she tries to hide, the storm- both personal and literal- is coming for her. Based on true events and the night Hurricane Sandy hit NYC, BEFORE THE STORM is a story about finding your way forward when everything around you seems to be falling apart; about staring down hopelessness in the face of loss; the delicate and sometimes elusive and obtuse relationship between father and daughter; escapism; the daunting experience of a cancer diagnosis; and the psychological as well as real-life effects of global warming. So. A comedy. Seriously.