Crossroad Feature Film: Shervin Youssefian: A renewed appreciation for Crossroad

You know the feeling when you find money in an old pair of pants? Or a personal note or movie stub in the pages of an old book? Or when you walk down a street and see a note you had carved into the wet cement? It's that moment in the present when you find a little sample of the work you've done in the past, and a feeling of sweet appreciation bubbles up for the "you" in the past.

Yesterday, I had to stay home to wait for a console delivery and when it arrived, I had to unplug the Cable Box, DVD and Stereo system and figure out how to put it all back.

In the process, I popped in a random movie DVD to see if the TV connection was working and it just so happened to be a DVD of Crossroad. After the initial menu display, the film automatically started to play. My first reaction was perhaps that of a lot of actors and movie makers who dread to watch their old films, but as the movie played on, I gradually forgot about the cables and found myself drawn into the story with a fresh perspective. With time, it was easier to pretend as if I was watching the film for the first time.

The editing was crisp and the dialogue, despite a few lines here and there, was rather subtle and flowed rather nicely. And I found a renewed admiration for the cast including Philip Bulcock's understated rage or Kim Estes' grounded wisdom.

I suddenly felt so grateful and proud of the work we had all done. This was a piece that would stand the test of time and I could easily imagine audiences 10, 20, 50 years in the future still being touched by the film.

When the film came to an end, I received a nice surprise email. A reminder that everything happens for a reason. A distributor whom we had met at ICVM (International Christian Visual Media) convention sent us the following email:

... we met briefly at ICVM and you gave me a copy of Crossroad. I recently watched it and was extremely impressed. Honestly, I think it is one of the best Christian films I've ever seen. I was really surprised (in a good way) but the raw intensity of the film. It is honest and provocative and the cast was absolutely outstanding. I see from the website that the film is available at several Christian bookstores. Are you working with distributor or just self distributing? We would be very interested to discuss licensing with you or (if you already have distribution arrangement) purchasing copies to sell in our catalog/website. Look forward to talking with you about it.

It's always encouraging to see your work, guided and protected by the Lord's spirit, finding a home in someone's heart. When you labor on a project and place all your faith in the Lord to bring it to fruition, it is moments and emails like this one that give you confirmation to continue creating with a purpose.

To get your COPY of Crossroad, please visit www.CrossroadMovie.com.
Shervin Youssefian works as Director at Spot On Media, an Los Angeles Production Company.