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David Karr: husband, father, White House press reporter, film producer, powerful millionaire, defense contractor, corporate CEO… Soviet agent?

Ten for Grandpa is a fast-paced, introspective look at the enigmatic life of a most influential ancestor. A list of unanswered questions leads our narrator through an analytical and often comedic look at the life of his complex grandfather and the events surrounding the man’s untimely demise. Was he an existential hero operating outside the everyday constraints of society, or a loose canon willing to indiscriminately betray associates, friends and family members in the service of his obsessive ambition?

The consequences of secrecy on the family emerge as our narrator tries to decipher if his forbearer really was a manipulative antihero or simply a victim of a McCarthy witch hunt and State Department character assassination. Was his most precarious choice deciding to do business with the USSR at the height of the Cold War, or was he really a vehicle for international deception and skullduggery?

With a multifaceted approach, the film reconsiders the romanticized, popular conception of the secret agent. Ten for Grandpa deflates the quixotic convention of a dapper playboy, and replaces it with an elusive serial- husband who had as much difficulty dealing with the blurred lines of rivaling international superpowers as he did raising his own children. Far from answering these impossible questions, Ten for Grandpa evokes the specter of unknown lineages and the unseen forces that inform our personalities and family lives.

At its core, the film is a snapshot of a fascinating ancestor, and the skeletons that rattle away in our closets.

SHORT FILM REVIEW

“Ten for Grandpa” is a well scripted n beautifully shot film. This short film has a beautiful, crisp script which is well accompanied with good narration, editing & picturization. “Ten for Grandpa” has everything that can be made into a Hollywood movie which makes this a trailer for the feature film. Hope to see this script made into a full feature film.

Awesome short film.

Rating: 5/5
DIRECTOR & CREW

Written & Directed by Doug Karr

Starring
David Alpay
David Huband
Catherine Black

AWARDS WON

Premiered at Sundance Film Festival in 2009, and has screened at more than 50 international film festivals since then, winning multiple awards:

Aspen Shortsfest – Special Jury Recognition Award

Holly Shorts Film Festival – Best Director

Strasbourg International Film Festival – Best Editing

TriMedia Film Festival – Jury Award for Best Short Film

OTHER

Language: English | Country: USA | Category: Drama | Year: 2011