What if you could run away?
From the life you have, create something more passionate and exciting, maybe it’s something you’ve always wanted, to escape the protected bubble you’ve made? What if someone pulled you from your safe reality into a world that’s thrilling and unfamiliar?
Summary
When Ella runs into a captivating stranger at a chaotic thrift store, sparks fly, until she realizes this magnetic woman is Damien, her high school sweetheart, now living openly as Didi. As the two reconnect, their undeniable chemistry reignites old feelings in a new form, and Ella is forced to confront everything she thought she knew about love, identity, and herself. Set over the course of a few emotionally charged encounters.
ACT 1
In an upscale thrift store, Ella, a buttoned up woman from conservative Utah, unexpectedly reunites with Didi, her high school sweetheart, formerly known as Damien, now living openly and confidently as a woman. The chance encounter is charged with unspoken recognition, awkward tension, and magnetic chemistry. Didi, now a photographer, invites Ella to her gallery. Ella is intrigued but emotionally guarded. Back home, she hides her excitement from her oblivious boyfriend, Liam. As Ella dips deeper into Didi’s online world, she begins to question her own identity, desires, and the version of herself she’s chosen to perform.
ACT 2
Ella attends Didi’s gallery show, and the pair reconnect on a rooftop.
But what starts with flirtation turns tense as Ella confronts Didi for not telling her who she really was right away. Didi pushes back, revealing hurt and vulnerability. Their emotions clash, reopening wounds from the past. At home, Ella struggles to explain the situation to Liam, exposing his ignorance and deepening her emotional confusion. When Ella and Didi attempt to reconnect, another clash erupts. Didi, hurt and frustrated, leaves, forcing Ella to confront her own truth.
ACT 3
In a moment of clarity, Ella chases Didi through the rainy New York streets. She apologizes and admits what Didi has meant to her, not just in the past, but now. She finally acknowledges her feelings and the magnetic pull Didi has on her, not despite who she is, but because of it. Didi hesitates, no longer willing to hide for someone else. Ella leans in, ready to meet her fully. They kiss, not just as old friends or lovers, but as two people finally ready to stop hiding and rewrite their connection on new terms.
My name is Mary Holland.
I'm a Filmmaker studying at New York Film Academy.
When I got my scholarship from the 10Arts foundation at NYFA, I set out to create something realizing I can be the voice of positive change for those who need it, expand story telling and perhaps alter minds to see different perspectives in each circumstance.
I’m making this film to amplify underrepresented voices, bringing a much-needed perspective to mainstream media. I’ve always been drawn to stories that follow individuals who face challenges and societal barriers, yet reveal remarkable inner strength and resilience. Through my films, I aim to foster a deeper understanding of the profound experiences that shape what it means to be human.
With Flames, I’m not just telling a story, I’m sharpening my voice as a storyteller committed to societal change for the better. This film is one of many steps I’m taking in a career shaped by purpose, where being human needs no justification and representation isn’t a luxury, it’s the baseline.
