The Secret Art of Human Flight

Directed by H.P. Mendoza

Cast: Grant Rosenmeyer, Jennean Farmer, Lucy Devito, Maggie Grace, Nican Robinson, Paul Raci, Reina Hardesty, Rosa Arredondo, Sendhil Ramamurthy

Official Selection, 2023 Tribeca Film Festival

Common coping mechanisms after losing a loved one range from self-help books to substance abuse. Ben, however, wants to learn how to fly… and no, not a plane.

After suddenly losing his wife and falling into deep depression, Ben, a children’s book author, can only scroll aimlessly on the internet until he stumbles across viral sightings of Mealworm, an eccentric guru (with a criminal record) who can fly. Before he can think twice, Ben impulsively goes to the dark web and orders Mealworm’s lessons, and a leatherbound manual filled with handwriting, drawings, and a ridiculous list of instructions arrives at his door. Things get more complicated when Mealworm and his giant Winnebago show up at his door, too. While Ben throws out all his furniture, follows a bizarre diet, takes ‘shrooms, and sleeps on the roof, his neighbors get scared, the police suspect him in his wife’s death, and his sister is convinced Ben is under the spell of a con artist. Despite the noise around him, Ben begins a spiritual journey of recovery under the questionable guidance of Mealworm, unsure if he can ever let go and connect again.

H.P. Mendoza’s signature style brings THE SECRET ART OF HUMAN FLIGHT to life as both a whimsical, absurd comedy and a thoughtful reflection on the grieving process. If grief requires small steps, Mendoza (I Am a Ghost, SDAFF ‘12, Bitter Melon, SDAFF ‘18) teases the transcendent possibility of flight.

– Kalohe Danbara

Filmmaker scheduled to attend.
Screening to be followed by Q&A.