American Solitaire - Director Aaron Davidman

AMERICAN SOLITAIRE explores the United States’ deep cultural connection to guns through the intimate story of a wounded veteran navigating the emotional aftermath of war. As he struggles to reintegrate into a society where firearms are revered and gun violence is pervasive, he embarks on a journey to heal himself and, by extension, challenge his country to allow for a broader vision of a soldier’s path to healing. Slinger came home from war. But the battle isn't over. American Solitaire stars Joshua Close (WAYWARD, FARGO) as a veteran unraveling in the aftermath of combat, adrift in a country that celebrates guns but has little language for the damage they leave behind. Written and directed by Aaron Davidman, the film is a raw, urgent portrait of one man's journey back to himself.

About the filmmaker - Aaron Davidman is a writer, actor, director and producer. He is drawn to stories of ethnic history and cultural complexity that challenge our assumptions of the “other”. To research AMERICAN SOLITAIRE, he traveled the U.S. for a year talking to people about guns. He has written, directed and performed at theatres around the country. His play, WRESTLING JERUSALEM, a solo performance about Israel/Palestine, toured internationally from 2014-2019. In 2016, the play was made into a feature film, starring Mr. Davidman (Amazon Prime + APPLE TV+). He designed post-screening programs for community dialogue and works with the Google School for Leaders, using his film as a catalyst for understanding Complexity and Multiple-Perspectives. Mr. Davidman received his theatrical training at Carnegie Mellon University, earned a BA from the University of Michigan and an MFA in creative writing/playwriting from San Francisco State University. He was a recipient of the TIKKUN Award in 2016 for WRESTLING JERUSALEM’S evocation of “radical empathy”. AMERICAN SOLITAIRE is his directorial cinematic debut.