Stay in the car

Set against the dim glow of streetlights and the hum of passing sirens, Stay in the Car captures one night in the life of a fifteen-year-old girl waiting in her mother's El Camino and the quiet reckoning that unfolds in the stillness. Based on real events, Stay in the Car explores the fragile line between safety and survival, love and neglect. It invites audiences into a world where survival depends on silence, and one young girl must decide whether to remain in her mother's chaos or step into her own uncertain freedom.

Stay in the Car is a short film based on real events written by Amanda Ross and directed by Calvin Ghaznavi. It's a story that puts us in the seat of an El Camino next to Salem (Lara Hunter), a teenage girl who finds herself unwittingly part of her mother's crime spree. Salem waits in the car as her mother Dee (Ashley Alva) & her mother's "friend" Mike (Timothy V. Murphy) drive around late at night making violent pit stops. There's not much dialog, but everything is clearly conveyed in the 7 minute short thanks to the fantastic acting of the entire cast. Ashley Alva as Dee gives a powerful performance, she is believable in her portrayal that straddles the lines between vulnerable & abusive, and protective & negligent. When the credits began to roll I found myself wondering what went on outside of the car, and what became of everyone after the story ended.