Project Trailer
The Golden Hours
Feature 1 Hr 29 Min Drama/coming of age/inspirational
Synopsis:
The Golden Hours tells the story of 16-year-old Raven, a girl grappling with the aftermath of a life-changing accident that leaves her in a wheelchair and separated from her old life. Struggling with guilt, trauma, and isolation, she finds herself rebuilding her world from scratch. Along the way, Raven forms new relationships, including a budding romance with her boyfriend, Levi, and a connection with two homeless individuals, Benji and Maizlee, who unexpectedly help her find meaning and purpose.
Through her passion for photography, Raven starts to see the world—and herself—in new ways. But as she navigates the challenges of recovery and self-discovery, she must confront her deepest fears and the painful memories that continue to haunt her. The Golden Hours is a heartfelt "coming of age" journey of healing, self-acceptance, and the power of unexpected connections.
The Golden Hours was entirely filmed in Santa Barbara.
Director - Jorrit Van Der Kooi
Jorrit is an award-winning film and documentary director/producer based in Santa Barbara. Originally from the Netherlands, he began his career at 18 as a radio producer while he was studying journalism. By 23, he was producing TV shows for Dutch National Television and won his first award for a video about "The Guardian Angels" in Los Angeles, followed by a short video about the work of Mother Teresa in Calcutta. Jorrit has split his time between Europe and California, creating and directing notable TV series for national TV stations like "Rodeo Drive" and "Ranking the Cars". He has directed and produced several award-winning feature films and short movies in both California and Europe.
His one-hour documentary about Colonel Parker, Elvis' manager, premiered theatrically and received critical acclaim after airing on Dutch national TV. In February 2023, his feature film "Fair Weather Road" premiered at the iconic TCL Chinese Theater in Hollywood and is currently available on Amazon Prime.
Fluent in English, French, and Dutch, Jorrit has directed projects in various countries, including Tanzania, DR Congo, France, and many others across Europe.
Director Statement
This is one of the rare feature-length films being produced in Santa Barbara. I had the pleasure of working with the lead actress, Aislinn Wilson, about eight years ago on a short film. At the time, she was a child, but even then, she had an impressive screen presence and a natural talent for acting. When it came time to cast The Golden Hours, I knew instantly she would be the perfect fit. All the young actors in the film are teenagers, and we had to coordinate around their school schedules. We were careful not to cast twenty-somethings to portray teenagers, as we wanted to preserve the film’s authenticity and capture the youthful energy that comes with their age.
I wrote and directed this film to tell a powerful and meaningful story about a traumatic life event, the denial and guilt that follow, and the hope that emerges when we come to terms with our past. The story is loosely inspired by real events that occurred about 20 years ago in a small town near where I lived at the time. For some reason, the memory of it has stayed with me all these years, and it only took two decades for me to finally channel that inspiration into a script:). While it’s a psychological and dramatic story, it also serves as an uplifting "coming of age" tale about friendship, family, teenage love, inclusion, healing, and rediscovering a renewed sense of purpose.