“Rat Tail has been a personal journey of healing. Time and memory unraveling, exposing a more honest definition of who I am, surpassing the idiosyncratic idea of my rat tail and revealing it to be the physical manifestation of my flawed inner self. However, that was not the original concept.

The film started as a distraction from a screenplay I was struggling to write. I needed a new project I could finish quickly. A reset. Naturally the rat tail I had for ten years growing up that my parents still keep in their basement seemed the perfect subject. It was a quirky, relatable story about identity. Some quick interviews, childhood photos and rat tail wigs – it wrote itself.

At least I thought it did. I started the edit and immediately soundbites stuck out.

“You just needed someone else to express yourself through.”

“You were people-pleaser Chad.”

The fast, quirky film was resisting, compelling me to dig deeper, to explore aspects of myself I was not prepared to reveal. A year and a half later, Rat Tail has evolved from a superficial story about a hairstyle to a healing journey of unexpected self-discovery. The film finally found its identity, revealing my true self in the process. “

Chad Sogas is a filmmaker who has spent the past twenty years working in every facet of the industry, from pre-production to post. His films explore flawed characters searching for fulfillment, often set in heightened realities. They have screened internationally at Academy Award qualifying festivals such as DOC NYC, LA Shorts, HollyShorts, BendFilm, Bermuda, and Tirana, and have also been selected by Vimeo Staff Picks and Short of the Week. His latest short film, Rat Tail, premiered at Hot Docs 2021.

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