A theater is a communal space. Whether on a Broadway stage, in a movie theater filled with hundreds, or watching on a screen together at home, there is something powerful about people coming together to hear a story.

For me, the theater has always been a place of healing and connection. I don’t make films simply to entertain — I make them to shine a light on the challenges that surround us and to use storytelling as a tool for understanding, empathy, and ultimately, healing. That often means beginning with the stories that are hardest to face.

If something isn’t pretty, or fun, or easy to talk about — if it’s messy or painful — we tend to avoid it. But I’ve learned that those are the very stories that can bring us back to one another.

With THE OPTIMIST, I wanted to explore trauma from two generational vantage points: Herbert’s hidden memories of the Holocaust and Abby’s struggles as a young person in contemporary America.

I witnessed the power of Herbert Heller’s story firsthand when I invited him to speak in schools. His quiet vulnerability gave teens a language for their own pain. I watched students transform as his testimony dismantled assumptions and deepened empathy in a way no textbook ever could. I knew then that I had to help carry this message forward.

As a mother of four with a background in education and psychology, I’m painfully aware that suicide is now the second leading cause of death among 10-34 year olds.  The need for connection, community, and compassion in the face of isolation has never been more urgent.

THE OPTIMIST is part of my continuing journey — one grounded in growing in love rather than fear, finding purpose when life feels heavy, and helping to make the world better for all of us. I’m committed to creating stories that remind us that even in our most challenging moments, there is hope. And that healing begins when we show up for one another.
          
   - Producer’s statement                                                    
     Jeanine Thomas