Story

TO THE FIREFLIES follows Olivia, a sixteen-year old girl who is forced into Switchgrass, a group home for girls, after a series of altercations with her small town’s law enforcement, and numerous conflicts with her mother and step-father. In this new environment Olivia recalls how she constructed a fantasy world in her psyche to escape the trauma and harsh reality of her childhood. She shares the memories of this magical world with Rebecca, another resident with whom she develops a close relationship. Together, the two embark on creating an illustrated storybook based on Olivia’s memories of this fantastical reality; the storybook is brought to life on-screen through the use of animated magical realism. Olivia who is rebellious, independent and out of control at times, struggles in the facility to follow the rules enforced by Caleb, the homes director who established the organization with Natalie, the staff therapist, many years ago. Caleb’s own complicated past of tragically losing his teenage daughter, clouds his projections and interactions with Olivia. This strained relationship jeopardizes Olivia’s tenuous status in the group home, as the threat of institutionalization constantly looms over her. Facing a state review of the facility, Caleb needs all hands-on deck, including Olivia’s, to improve the house and maintain crucial funding. Olivia finds her niche in cultivating the otherwise lifeless garden, which ultimately nourishes her own imagination. Olivia discovers an ally within the residential therapist Natalie, who struggles to come to terms with her own trauma within her family life. In sessions with Natalie, Olivia finally finds the first safe person that she can trust, which instills courage to begin to examine her past. After a series of altercations at Switchgrass involving Rebecca, Caleb and eventually Natalie, Olivia is propelled emotionally into a crisis point where she finally fully recalls the trauma that has been haunting her. It is at this point that Olivia makes her first major step towards healing. In the climatic animated sequence, with her newfound sense of resilience, Olivia speaks with a younger version of herself who’s hiding in the forest amongst fireflies and tells her that one day they will both be safe.