OUR BRAVEST SEARCH IS FOR OURSELVES
AN UNEXPECTED FILM
When David Quint and his estranged father Urban, boarded a plane for Switzerland to confront a mystery that had haunted their family for generations, they had no way of knowing what the next ten days would hold.
A series of extraordinary events was captured on David’s camera phone, while it happened. This is the gripping and transformative true story of a father-son trip that changed everything.
AN ORPHAN
THE PAIN OF AN UNKNOWN PAST
In this transformative true story, Urban Quint, an orphan forbidden from knowing the identity of his father, struggles to reconcile the pain of that lifelong void. He and his estranged son embark on an adventure into the unknown to confront the mystery that haunts their family.
AN EDUCATOR
THE ORPHAN BECOMES THE TEACHER
This inspiring true story illuminates the remarkable resilience of the human spirit and the enduring influence of a single adult on the life of a child. Impacted by the support of one educator, an abandoned child named Urban begins to experience success for the first time, setting into motion a powerful collision of choices and circumstances that will launch a search for his lost family.
A FAMILY
A LEGACY OF SECRETS
Urban Quint and his estranged son David try to escape the grip of the past by confronting the mystery that has haunted their family for generations. A series of extraordinary events leads to a powerful collision of choices and circumstances that could heal and transform their entire family.
A FATHER & SON
THE SHADOW OF A FATHER
In this powerful true story, David Quint and his estranged father Urban, embark on an adventure into the unknown. The two men are forced into an unlikely alliance in order to confront the mystery that haunts their family.
A JOURNEY
A SERIES OF EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS
Urban Quint, a Swiss orphan who was abandoned during WWII and relocated to the United States, struggles to reclaim a connection to his origins. He and his estranged son are forced into an unlikely alliance in order to confront the mystery that haunts their family.
DO YOU BELIEVE IN SERENDIPITY?
Serendipity is often the lifeblood of independent filmmaking, as is heard in the workshops and speeches at film festivals.
FATHER UNKNOWN didn’t begin as a film project. It started out as one man’s attempt to root out the forbidden secrets of his family’s past – a search that evolved into a father-son trip overseas, shot simply as a travelogue for his family. What happened on the ten-day trip changed David and Urban’s lives – a series of extraordinary events lining up, captured as they unfolded, on a smart phone.
HOME AGAIN
Following their return, David repeatedly found himself in front of complete strangers who were deeply moved by his story of the trip. He found that people were connecting profoundly to broader meanings and implications in their own lives.
TEAMWORK
A small and unique team of filmmakers coalesced around the project, as a compelling opportunity to create something artistically inspired and socially meaningful.
Things kept lining up: discovering an award-winning scissor-cut artist named Trudy, crossing paths with the Swiss Embassy at a film festival, friends-of-friends offering critical connections. And then came Ancestry.com.
ANCESTRY.COM
It was one of those accidental conversations at Sundance that guided the filmmakers into discussions with Ancestry.com about lending their support to the project. With Ancestry’s recent success with the television show Who Do You Think You Are, they understood firsthand how a film like this could impact its audience. They got it. And they agreed, for the first time ever, to provide support to an independent film. The filmmakers were given complete autonomy.
CURRENTLY IN POST-PRODUCTION
In the final stretch of filmmaking, we’re encouraged by the feedback we’ve received from focus groups, film industry professionals and people who find pieces of their own lives in the film. We’re being introduced to and are partnering with organizations and non-profits that might benefit from sharing this story.
FATHER UNKNOWN continues to cross paths with just the right people. People like you.
- The Filmmakers
CURRENTLY IN POST PRODUCTION
DAVID QUINT
DIRECTOR
Based in Denver, Colorado, David Quint is a seasoned cinematographer and director with clients who include Dateline NBC, Discovery Channel, History Channel, 60 Minutes, 20/20, America’s Most Wanted, Nickelodeon and projects for MTV including The Amazing Race, Road Rules/RealWorld and Mount MTV. His varied works include action sequences for Stargate SG-1 as well as image projects for American Crew, Adidas and Microsoft. A dual citizen of the US and Switzerland, David is also a specialized aerial cinematographer and director, working in conjunction with Aerial Filmworks across the U.S.
GILL HOLLAND
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
Gill Holland’s 50+ producer credits include Morgan J. Freeman's unprecedented triple Sundance award-winning “Hurricane Streets”, the FOX sit-com “Greg the Bunny”, “Desert Blue” with Kate Hudson, Spirit Award winner “SweetLand” with Alan Cumming, Emmy-nominated “Dear Jesse,” Sundance favorites “Spring Forward” with Ned Beatty and Liev Schreiber and Tim Kirkman’s “Loggerheads” with Bonnie Hunt. Other films include “Mountain Top Removal”, Sundance hits “Flow: For Love of Water”, “Bass Ackwards” “Adventures of Power” with “Entourage” star Adrian Grenier and “Glee” star Jane Lynch, and “The Catechism Cataclysm”. Nominated for the Spirit Award for Producer of the Year 1998, Gill is a half-Norwegian, half North Carolinian lawyer and former adjunct professor at NYU Graduate Film School.
WALT BOYLE JR
EXECUTIVE PRODUCER
As a new-media executive and strategist, Walt’s 25-year career has spanned the varied creative fields of advertising, online and marketing research. A champion of community-based initiatives, Walt creates competitive barriers with intensely localized/personalized/segmented content. His pioneering work in research has spanned the fields of television, consumer goods, politics, education and law. Walt was on the founding team of Ticketmaster-Citysearch and is a decorated veteran.
KT! EATON
PRODUCER
KT! has supervised numerous film projects as a producer, cinematographer and special effects technician in locations spanning the globe. Her credits include broadcast/feature work for BBC, National Geographic, Discovery Kids, John Sayles' Silver City and the Sundance Channel. As the creative accomplice to directors, KT! contributes to the creative development of projects and provides logistical and editorial support, all the while continuing to design and implement compelling cinematography. She also managed to accomplish every child’s dream by riding the rails with Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus as a pyrotechnician.
ROB MILLER
ANIMATOR
Rob has worked as a cross-disciplinary creative force ranging from industrial design to interactive media. Rob has received an IDEA Gold Award from the Industrial Designers of America and BusinessWeek and has won the American Institute of Architects Young Architects Gala. Over the past decade, Rob has completed projects with Case Logic, Burton, Avid, Gensler, Virgin, Thermos, General Electric, Izze, and a number of enthusiastic entrepreneurs.
GILDART JACKSON
STORY CONSULTANT
Gildart is an entertainment attorney turned writer and actor. His initial work as a writer was in the world of Children’s Television where he penned endless episodes for shows such as Double Dragon, Street Sharks, Where on Earth is Carmen Sandiego and his own favorite: Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century. His acting credits now span stage and screen. He is most often recognized for his role as Gideon on Charmed. Other notable TV roles include Jackson Palmer on Providence and the long running Simon Prentiss on General Hospital. Gildart wrote, produced and starred in You, a feature film starring his wife, Melora Hardin (Jan on The Office), which was hailed as “A breathtaking story of love and loss and hope” by Entertainment Tonight.
ANCESTRY.COM
Ancestry.com has provided underwriting to this unique, independent film in support of an unfolding story that closely aligns with their mission of helping people discover, preserve and share their family histories. Ancestry.com is the world’s largest online resource for family history, with more than 8 billion historical records and more than 1.7 million worldwide subscribers.
IN POST-PRODUCTION. FOLLOW OUR PROGRESS
