Black Cloud (2016)

On June 15th, 2012, the love of my life nearly lost her life. It was Jason and Amber - two paramedics from Austin-Travis County EMS - whose wisdom, instincts, and experience stood as the barrier between life and death that day. Alex, the aforementioned love of my life, broke both her femurs, her heart stopped for ninety seconds, she was given five pints of blood, and she suffered a traumatic brain injury. Many surgeries, two titanium rods, and a few years later, Alex is miraculously on her feet. Alex insisted on meeting Jason and Amber. It was after that meeting that Black Cloud began. The idea for this film started out with simple curiosity. Who are these people who have had an immeasurable impact on my life? How can two people I don't know have affected the rest of my life in such a profound way? I began to wonder, How do they do this? How do they see death and destruction with such frequency and come out the other end with their sanity? What does it feel like to save a life? How do they cope with this lifestyle? How does it affect their views of humanity? Are they cynical? Are they optimistic? I have so many questions and I have no doubt the public do, too. I want to use this film to help answer them. Black Cloud is an unprecedented, boots-on-the-ground look at the medics of Austin-Travis County EMS. At work, at home, and in personal interviews, this film will create portraits of these people who save lives every day. This film is a gesture of gratitude, a gift to the EMS community who has done so much for Alex and I.