Institute History
Description
Bury Me Standing mixes comedy and drama in an ensemble film that follows five family members after the sudden death of 26-year-old Evan MacKay. In the family neighborhood, a working-class section of North Philadelphia, Ruth, Gloria, Chooch, Mott, and Darryl are each forced to deal with Evan’s death in their own unique way.
Ruth, an 11-year-old awkward Alabamian, is sent to her very first funeral for a cousin she has never met. Due to her mother’s battle with cancer, Ruth is obsessed with the concept of death, and confronts it by visiting Elijah, the 17-year-old murderer of her cousin.
Chooch, Evan's half-brother, witnessed the shooting at close range. Shaken and distraught, he becomes obsessed with their father's "recipe for happiness," told to Evan years ago. Chooch, a successful auto shop owner, proceeds to turn his life upside down in search of the secret to happiness that Evan seemed to have.
Gloria, Evan’s surly mother and a previously devout Christian, “divorces God” in retaliation for her son’s death. On her journey of revenge, Gloria confronts the truth about her relationship with her son.
Gloria gives Mott, Evan’s seven-months-pregnant girlfriend, an unusual proposition. She offers Mott the deed to the family house in exchange for the baby. In an attempt to keep the child, Mott, uneducated, unskilled, and alone, uses her unusual brand of logic to create an unconventional plan for survival.
Darryl, Evan’s uncle and a formerly acclaimed dancer-turned-choreographer, decides to redesign his current show and create a memorial to honor his nephew. Staged in an abandoned warehouse in the family neighborhood, Darryl attempts to salvage his all but faded career by taking on the task of memorializing a life. Through creating the show, Darryl discovers his own unique process of grieving.
Ruth, Chooch, Gloria, Mott, and Darryl progressively cross paths, leading each to a breaking point that irreversibly affects another. Ultimately, Bury Me Standing is a mosaic of memories, dreams, and dance that tells the story of how a murder becomes the catalyst for five people to reassess the choices they’ve made and confront their greatest fears.