"Fennel" Finds the Words a Father and Son Can't Say

Some films arrive from a place of craft; others arrive from need. Fennel is the latter. Logan Fields wrote and directed this intimate family drama as a way of working through something in himself — the baggage of growing up, of becoming a man, of the words that go unspoken between parent and child. What emerges is a quiet, closely observed portrait of two people struggling to connect, shot through with the kind of humor that only real families understand.

Screening at HollyShorts in Fields's home city, Fennel lands with a personal charge. It is a small story told with care, and its restraint is exactly what gives it weight.

Key Takeaways

• Fennel is a family drama — and, at times, a comedy — about the emotional distance between a father and son over a single tense lunch.
• Fields and his team shot the entire film in roughly five hours, leaning into the speed and adaptability that independent filmmaking allows.
• The film once contained a documentary portion that Fields ultimately cut, a decision that reshaped how he saw the story.

Fields spoke with us about the personal roots of the film, the emotional homework behind every line, and why constraints became a creative gift.

Interview

What drew you to make this film, and why this story, why now?

This was something I needed to make for myself. Growing personally, as a man, and wanting to let go of baggage I have been holding onto.

What surprised you most about the filmmaking process, including any moment that changed how you saw the story?

Having to cut a documentary portion of the film. That was the biggest shift for me.

What tool, technique, or mindset shift helped most during production?

Rehearsal and having readings ahead of time. Really going line by line and thinking about why a moment or line is there, and what I want to be conveyed with it. Just doing the emotional homework.

What is the greatest strength of independent filmmaking, and how did you lean into it here?

Being able to be flexible, work quickly and effectively. We filmed this in around five hours, and although I wish I had at least twice that, I'm so proud of what we could accomplish. Constraints breed creativity and make you adaptable.

What do you hope audiences take away from this film?

I want people to come away feeling emboldened to have the hard conversations and share themselves with the people they love.

How does your film fit within, or push the boundaries of, its genre?

It's a very personal film to me, but it's a family drama and sometimes comedy to its core. The real push comes from the perspective shift that happens in the film, which I think sets it apart in a unique way.

What does it mean to have your film selected for HollyShorts?

It's special to be able to share the film in my home city where so many friends and family can attend in a theatre I grew up coming to.

Where do you see this film going next, and how has it shaped the stories you want to tell?

It will eventually be online on a platform for anyone to watch and hopefully connect with as many people as possible. And going forward, I only want to make things that mean something to me in the moment I'm making them. If I'm making something, I'm working through something for myself at the same time. At the core of all my work is a desire to be seen.

Main Cast & Crew

• Writer/Director: Logan Fields (loganfieldsfilms.com)
• Producer: James Stewart (jamesstewart.ca)
• Director of Photography: Zayd Ezzeldine
• Casting Director: Violette Trotter
• Editor: Griffin Olis
• Sound Design and Mix: Gregor Bonse
• Composer: Patrick O'Halloran
• Colorist: Nick Lindell-Wright
• Brady: Daniel Zolghadri
• Mike: Keith William Richards

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