​The Parkland High School shooting felt like a gut punch. News reports turned the faces of teenagers into ghosts, their laughter and dreams silenced by gunfire. Then came the Pulse Nightclub shooting and the weight of these tragedies pressed even heavier. It was a horrifying cascade of violence, and a sickening sense of numbness began to creep in. Had mass shootings become a grim reality we'd just grown accustomed to? Was this the new normal? What happens to the survivors when the news media moves on to the immediate aftermath of another shooting?

 

That's what sparked 'Tether'. My writer, Anghus Houvouras, and I couldn't accept this new normal. These weren't just headlines; they were stories of shattered lives. We wanted to explore the aftermath, the ripple effects that spread far beyond the immediate victims. 'Tether' isn't about the acts themselves but the trauma they leave behind. It's about families grappling with the absence of a loved one, survivors carrying physical and emotional scars, and the communities left wrestling with the unthinkable. 

 

The characters in 'Tether' are forced to confront this new reality. They become beacons of resilience, navigating the suffocating weight of grief and the constant undercurrent of fear. Their stories are a testament to the enduring human spirit, but also a call to action. 'Tether' is a tribute to the victims, a spotlight on the survivors, and a plea for a future where these tragedies don't become the norm we passively accept.

 

Although this is not my story, I strongly believe it could be someday and I live with that dread daily. Being an immigrant employee in the US for almost ten years, there has been an immense challenge to form a life in this country. The next step for me is to get married and have children. But I am concerned for their safety because the people in power haven't made me feel safe here. As a self-funded project shot in just ten days, ‘Tether’ is a labor of love and my letter to America, a plea to its leaders: do better, before this nightmare becomes my story too.