The Places I never went back to

A dark background with the yellow text: 'watch me say goodbye'.

Director, Cinematographer, Editor: Hannah Tjaden

Independent Documentary Short

“I have lived in Syracuse, New York my entire life.
Five major perceptions of me have been made here.
These perceptions have defined me for a long time,
until now.

This is my story of letting go.
I will now be visiting these places for the last time.
Watch me say goodbye.”

  • A street scene in black and white with a couple walking together under trees, in front of shops and parked cars. There are street lamps, trees, a utility pole, and a building with windows. The caption at the bottom reads 'my first kiss ever.'
  • Black and white image of a street scene at night with power lines, trees, and a bright light at the horizon. Subtitles at the bottom say, 'I knew that I was a creative person.'
  • A woman with long brown hair and hoop earrings wearing a red top is sitting on a concrete bench outdoors in an urban park or plaza, with buildings, trees, and parked cars in the background. She appears to be speaking, with subtitles reading 'and we're gonna go on a journey.'
  • Black and white image of street signs at the intersection of West High Terrace and Lathrop Road with trees in the background. The image has a label indicating it was taken from camera 4, and there are subtitles at the bottom that say, 'that come attach with it'.
  • Black and white surveillance footage showing a traffic light at an intersection with a person standing nearby. The footage has timestamp and camera labels, and yellow subtitles saying "that traffic light is where she kissed me."
  • A woman with wavy brown hair and earrings sitting in the driver's seat of a car, wearing a pink sweater, with a parking lot, trees, and buildings visible outside the window.
  • Black background with yellow text that reads, "This is my story of letting go."
  • Two women walking together on a city sidewalk, with other pedestrians in the background. The women are engaged in conversation, and there is a signboard on the sidewalk. The scene is in black and white with subtitles at the bottom reading 'my best friend at the time.'
  • Black and white footage of San Francisco cityscape with the Transamerica Pyramid in the distance. A street scene includes a sign for a hardware store and a person walking on the sidewalk. The image appears on a security or surveillance camera feed, labeled 'CAM 4' and 'REC'. There are yellow subtitles at the bottom that say, 'but at the time when I was sixteen-years old'.