TO MY FATHER
by Karen Pecota

Sean Schiavolin, USA 2023

It was at the 94th annual Academy Awards ceremony in March 2022, when actor Troy Kotsur became the first deaf man to take home the revered gold Oscar statue for his remarkable performance as Frank Rossi in the movie CODA. Kotsur's acceptance speech paid tribute to his father, Leonard Kotsur, which moved millions.

Filmmaker Sean Schiavolin directs the 23-minute short film story behind Troy's acceptance speech in TO MY FATHER. Troy chronicles his journey of achievements, narrating through American Sign Language (ASL), of how his father encouraged him to pursue his passion for acting and to whatever gave him "his spark." His father deeply believed that Troy could accomplish whatever he desired. Leonard refused to allow Troy to accept anything less. Troy was born into a hearing family; but, while he was the only deaf member, his dad always found a way to reach out to him.

Producer John Papola says, "You need to look no further than Troy and his father for the best example of how to overcome adversity and take control of your life."

Troy shares the impact his dad had on him as a child and, at the same time, Schiavolin shows the audience visually using reenactments of what the influence looked like. One example shared is when his dad arrived home from work. Leonard was the city police chief and had his police car at home. Every evening after his shift, he drove up the driveway in his police car and flashed the siren lights. This was the sign to Troy that dad was home. Leonard was a loving father and never saw Troy's lack of hearing as a disability that would hinder him from achieving his goals and dreams.

Unfortunately, Leonard's life was cut short by a tragic accident.

In the film Troy shares, "My dad raised a deaf child in a time when the roadmap was not as available as it is today, but he navigated it with love." Adding, "It is an honor for me to tell the world about my father. I'm the man that I am today because of my dad and this film is a tribute to him." Concluding, "Through this story, I hope to pass along pieces of the inspiration and wisdom that helped me through my most difficult times."

Troy's journey and message in TO MY FATHER is not only inspirational but an unforgettable narrative.