Soden In Love
20 minute short documentary | Tacoma, WA
Director, Producer, Editor
SYNOPSIS
Vietnam War veteran Ron and his wife of 65 years, Sandy Soden, met on the beach on the Fourth of July, 1959. This intimate documentary traces their extraordinary marriage—past and present—through quiet, everyday moments, providing a unique meditation on everlasting love.
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION -
I’ve known Ron and Sandy since I was two years old. Some of my earliest and fondest childhood memories are of picking blackberries and baking pies with Sandy, developing photos with Ron in his bathroom darkroom, and watching the two of them flirt and joke with each other. During a phone call to wish Sandy a happy 81st birthday, I learned that Ron is writing a memoir about his military service. In 2016, he published a novel chronicling Sandy’s childhood, and he shared that writing about himself has been much more challenging than writing about her. All my life, I’ve watched Ron document his and Sandy’s lives—through photographs, slide shows, and prose. In every endeavor, his love for Sandy shines through. When I asked if I could help document their love story on film, they generously opened their lives to my camera. In April 2024 they welcomed me into their home as a fly on the wall, and in May 2024 I gave Ron a video camera so he could record in private. The result is a funny and heartfelt meditation on marriage. Ron and Sandy's relationship has given me hope for as long as I can remember, and I’m so excited to help share that hope with others.
Stillwater
10 minute short film | Providence, RI
Writer, Director, Producer, Production Designer, Actor
Proof of concept for homonymous feature film, screenplay available upon request
VIEW ON DESKTOP
SYNOPSIS
In an alternate history where the Cold War continues, star-crossed lovers dodge the draft by eloping to serve out their duty aboard a remote submarine. Upon return to their traditional hometown, the young wife finds domesticity more confining than life underwater. When the landlord's toilet crashes onto their marital bed, she is forced to take a job from the town pariah, a serial widow.
CREW
Written, Directed, Produced by Joëlle Dong
Cinematography by Adam Hersko Ronatas
Score by Karya Sezener
Edited by Fred Cheung
Assistant Directed by Cassidy Paradis
Carpentry and Set Engineering by Oliver Fisher
CAST
Joëlle Dong, Ian Peterson
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
Originally set to begin principal photography April 1, 2020, this project was delayed when COVID hit the US in March, 2020. The thirty person crew dispersed around the globe, and I ended up dragging 3,000lbs of lumber around Providence for the next 13 months. To accommodate the pandemic, I took on the roles of production designer and actor, in addition to writer, director, and producer.
Stripped
7 minute short film | Five Fifty Five Films | London, UK
Writer, Director, Producer
SYNOPSIS
A math whiz's acceptance to an elite university threatens her father’s modern orthodox Jewish values, sparking a family disagreement that leads to a shocking discovery.
CREW
Written, Directed, Produced by Joëlle Dong
Executive Produced by Kate Baxter
Cinematography by Ariel Artur
Score by Karya Sezener
Edited by Logan Cody
Sound by Max Sternlicht
CAST
Lydia Bradford, Sam Newman, Rachel Gaffin, Dora Fidler
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
While interning for Five Fifty Five Films, my boss invited me to pitch a few ideas. She selected Stripped, and within two weeks I took the story from idea to wrap for under 700 dollars. It was a wonderful crash course in independent filmmaking.
Of Tea and Smoke
Live Action TV series set in Opium War Era Macau
Creator
Pilot screenplay, story bible, and pitch materials available upon request.
