Vonnie
From the Archives
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05-Aug-2020
A widowed mother tries to make it on her own in Eugene, Oregon. “Vonnie,” the highly personal story of Tynan DeLong and his mother and their family history, is utterly devastating, and a drastic pivot from DeLong’s previous work - goofy comedy vids which we’ve featured with great regularity starting last year. There are moments of comic relief in the new film - like in old footage of DeLong as a young boy decked out in Wayne’s World gear acting silly - but here we have a profound account of a mother, her husband, her sons, and the fragility of life. Compiling old footage going back to the 90’s with new interview footage using the same Hi 8 format, DeLong creates a seamless merging of time and aging, a profound arc. The film moves from a general profile of Vonnie — happy (though overwhelmed) days of young motherhood, a death in the family in the early 2000’s, and into modern times with Vonnie dealing with loneliness and depression. And culminates with an extraordinarily emotional story, and a remarkable coincidence, where a personal tragedy converged with a national one.
Directed, shot and edited by Tynan Delong. Additional video footage by Cindi Van Hook Noll, Ben Delong and Robert Delong. Music by Tynan Delong. Produced by Tynan Delong.
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