In a world where reincarnation is real, but commercialized as afterlife insurance, an old raccoon must say goodbye to his best friend, a young puppy, on his last day in the afterlife.

As someone who has always loved creating things, I have lived as a loner for the better part of my childhood, with only a few good friends growing up. At a young age, I started taking ADHD medication and was diagnosed with dermatitis, a dry skin condition. Other kids kept their distance from me because of those two reasons. However, the few that stuck by me made me realize that I had the capability to make friends while still being who I wanted to be, which kept me going. This blossomed into a love for independence and self-expressive creation. In high school, the lack of sociability due to the medication made for a feeling of loss. I picked up an interest in cameras and directed music videos as English class projects before my senior year. This not only helped me make more friends but also gave me a creative avenue to hone in on and overcome my need for medication. In college, I studied film and television production with an interest in sound. I graduated in the Spring of 2022 and immediately moved to Atlanta, where I currently reside to pursue film and make much-needed connections.

Director Statement
​As a writer, this film was special because it helped me cope with the pandemic and isolation in general, as well as life, death, and the concept of family. As a director, it has morphed into a new love for the characters, I picture Wendel as an older version of myself, who's lived long enough to have answers, though still figuring things out himself. And Stanley, a younger version, who does not completely believe in himself and hopes that life will guide him along in his quest for self-discovery. It gives me comfort knowing that I am somewhere in the middle of the two. Perhaps... Between?

Samia Staehle was born in the US but raised in Algeria, Switzerland and India where she fell in love with ponies and horses at a young age.

As a teenager, Samia’s father retired from his career as a diplomat and with her family’s return to the U.S. focus on college replaced horse riding. Upon graduating she followed another overseas path, this time as a TV news producer with Associated Press Television in Washington D.C., London and Paris.

​A return to school to study law was followed by a return to riding as a “nice little hobby” when Samia re-discovered her passion for horses. She then saw an opportunity to share the stories of the dynamic people that surround them. Samia and her husband Daryl, also a former news producer, partnered with Tell Studios of Detroit to produce Desert Flight.