Marry Me?
2021 · 5:24 · written by Barry Gribble · produced by Lee Perna · directed by William R. Coughlan
In the spring of 2020, as ambitious politicians self-servingly paint an overly optimistic picture of the impact of the COVID-19 virus, regular people find themselves unsure as to how to proceed. But as mask mandates and stay-at-home orders sweep the nation — and once-thriving businesses find their customers vanishing — the unexpected release from day-to-day work obligations accelerates some major life decisions… and for one couple, introduces conflict where it had previously been suppressed.
Tohubohu Productions once again entered the Washington, DC, 48 Hour Film Project under COVID-constrained conditions (as the delta variant promptly arrested the world’s recovery momentum) with 2021’s “Marry Me?” Mustering a significantly smaller cast and crew than usual (all fully vaccinated), we also planned to shoot entirely outside at a single location — a decision further complicated when it ended up raining almost the entire shooting day. “The Least Among Us” and “Bombshell” writer Barry Gribble crafted a tongue-in-cheek “period piece” set just 17 months prior — in March of 2020 — in order to showcase a lighter piece than is usual for pandemic-themed entertainment. Produced by Lee Perna and directed by William R. Coughlan, the film was created entirely over the weekend of August 6th through August 8th, 2021, and premiered at the AFI Silver Theater on Thursday, August 19th.
