HOW TO DISAPPEAR COMPLETELY

The story

Vanessa gathers her late husband Logan’s friends in Joshua Tree to scatter his ashes. Their infant daughter will not know him through her own memories, so Vanessa asks the group to record messages describing who he was. The weekend is meant to preserve a life, with the camera providing something that can outlast the gathering.

But the friends do not bring one agreed version of Logan. Memories and evasions begin contradicting one another, while his footage complicates the stories they are ready to tell. The camera becomes witness, unreliable comfort and a record they cannot entirely control. What starts as a memorial exposes the difference between being reachable and being present. For Vanessa and the friends, creating an account for the child means confronting where they were while her father was still alive. The gathering cannot restore those missed opportunities.

Why this movie

• Contained desert ensemble
• Strong actor scenes
• A camera functioning as memory, witness and unreliable comfort.

Comparable films

The Big Chill — An ensemble reunion exposes the limits of shared history.

Aftersun — Recorded images reveal what memory cannot settle.

Comparisons describe tone and audience; no affiliation or endorsement is implied.

Edition, rights & availability

NOT CURRENTLY OPTIONABLE

Not currently optionable. No screenplay requests, downloads or reader access are offered.

Recognition

• Second Rounder — Austin Film Festival, 2025