“How can a movie about suicide be life-affirming and positive??“ was the common reaction when I first presented the idea of “Maybe Tomorrow“. And yet, the movie is exactly that, and especially considering that not all too long ago I myself was wandering through life as a troubled teenager, I would never want to glorify or romanticize suicide. The story is only partly based on real people; the two characters should rather be seen as symbolizing teenagers in general. Philip and Sarah have the typical problems, worries and fears. What they are lacking is the parental and social net that can catch them and convince them that there are solutions other than killing themselves. Instead, they fall into an emotional pit that they can no longer see a way out of. They fail to recognize that their problems, while potentially serious, are not earth-shattering. They couldn’t care less that far away people are starving, because their life is happening NOW, and their worries are burdening them considerably more in this here and now. While in the beginning the two teenagers are acting up and pretending that “it’s not all that bad anyway”, their true feelings quickly emerge. Eventually, they are faced with the decision of whether to really jump or not. The viewer sees every minute, follows their conversation and experiences their transition.
The second question that I am asked inevitably is why I didn’t choose a “conventional” narrative method, in other words, showing how Philip and Sarah are fairing in chats, with schoolmates, and with their family, before they meet as planned. This is also easily explained: It’s not about what is truly happening in their lives. Are they exaggerating? Maybe. Have they gotten too worked up about something? Probably. But all that is irrelevant – because it’s about how they feel NOW, with all their emotions, their powerlessness and their desire to escape it all.
This is their reality at that moment, regardless of the truth of their perception, and the audience needs to witness the world they exist in so they can empathize with them and learn to understand them better.
ALEX K. LEE – Script & Direction
After completing his studies with an MA in International Business in the US, Alex initially worked as a Liaison Officer of an Amassador in Vienna. Meanwhile, however, he has always pursued creative writing, creating several short stories and novels. In 2003, Alex enrolled at a film school in Vienna and later attended some workshops abroad, piquing his interest in film making and editing. His last short film, Muriendo, was nominated for “best cinematography” at the Grand Off European Off-Film Awards in Warsaw. In 2011, Alex entered into a cooperation with MR Film to write and direct the feature film Stage Left. He is furthermore working, among several others, on the Austrian-French co-production Seven Veils.
