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Why do some men exude an air of quiet confidence while others appear indecisive and uncertain? Filmmaker David Sampliner wants to know. He is about to become a father for the first time, and that fact both excites and scares him. In particular, Sampliner is worried that he’s not “man” enough to serve as his child’s guardian and protector. He sees himself as too faltering and docile to be the kind of man he feels he needs to be, both for himself and his unborn child. In
My Own Man, Sampliner probes the murky boundaries where the influences of nurture and nature on a person’s character come together. Is it in his very nature to be meek and uncertain? Or was there some aspect of Sampliner’s upbringing that set in motion early tendencies that became fixed patterns later in life? And, regardless of the explanation, is it too late to change? In
My Own Man, Sampliner revisits his childhood in hopes of understanding the evolutionary arc of his character. In the meantime, we watch with fascination as he pushes far past his comfort zone to embrace challenges that he hopes will allow him to transcend his insecurities and finally become the man he longs to be.
-Mark Valentine
California Premiere
Sponsored by Ron Abileah and Marlene Winograd
Director David Sampliner in person in San Francisco and
Palo Alto