Graham’s thesis film for the Savannah College of Art and Design, SAMSON premiered in the 2002 Directors’ Fortnight section of the Festival de Cannes.  One of only 22 short films selected, SAMSON played alongside features such as LAUREL CANYON (dir. Lisa Cholodenko) and MATIR MOINA by Tareque Masud.

“My approach to the film was to create a dark Southern Gothic folk tale; to put a character into this completely closed-off isolated world and see how he would invent rituals and companionship.  People are social creatures and in the absence of human contact they will find something else, whether real or imagined, to interact with; in Samson’s case it is a worm.  This need is what allows him to overcome his mental and physical captivity.  Even though the majority of the film takes place within this barn, we shot it to feel like a whole world.  I wanted the audience to live in there with him, so that when he finally breaks free we feel the release and also shock of the outside world just as he does.”  – Graham