By: Nejdana Houshyar, Peak Associate
Content warning: brief mention of domestic violence and substance use.
Music can transport one into a completely different world. In Hearse Chasing, a harrowing documentary by SFU alum Teresa Alfeld, music serves as the central thread that sustains hope and ambition. The film follows Cassidy Waring, an indie folk musician, who, through a life of viewing and experiencing abuse, substance use, and the death of her mother, has been diagnosed with complex post-traumatic stress disorder (CPTSD) and travels back to her hometown of Calgary to uncover some truths about her family.
The film offers a deep dive into the complex, yet familiar, world of Waring’s past. It begins with Waring and her younger brother Cooper exploring their old family home, which is now inhabited by a different family. In these scenes, I could feel the tension and heartbreak both siblings are feeling as they move through this uncanny space. Memories flood back to them, and I was able to empathize with the siblings as home movies overlap.
The film narrates Waring’s story through interviews with family members and friends, such as her cousin Shelaine, her uncle Chris, and neighbours Lynn and Brad. These accounts seem long overdue, almost as if they were begging to be shared. The emotions in each individual are so palpable and raw, to a point of uncomfortable intimacy — it feels almost wrong to view them. However, this is the beauty Alfeld designs in this film — a discomfort where the audience is almost forced to look at and examine their own lives vis-à-vis the shots from the camera.
The film proves, through these intense conversations, that it is better to experience hardships with a community — one does not need to suffer alone.
The film discusses heavy topics such as domestic violence, alcohol addiction, and death in a thoughtful and sympathetic way. There is no hatred directed towards Waring’s parents, especially her mother, who, although had contributed to the children’s abuse, was a victim of it herself. The family accounts are not only used to understand Waring’s childhood and eventual CPTSD diagnosis but also as a helpful guide to anyone else struggling with similar situations, reassuring them that it does get better.
It is clear that the whole process of creating music — songwriting, producing, and performing — is the strongest tool that helps Waring work through her trauma. Scenes of her writing alone, or with others, provide glimpses of peace in the film. These moments show so much about why Waring became motivated to be a musician. The scene of her sitting with an array of family photos scattered on her bed, writing about her family and mother, shows her chosen outlet to display her emotions in a way she could not previously. During the final scene of the film, every bottled-up emotion and word left unsaid gets laid out as Waring debuts the song she has been working on, “Hearse Chasing.” Waring delivers a raw and emotional performance dedicated to her mother, singing with her eyes in peaceful trance as if she were only in the audience.
You can watch Hearse Chasing on TELUS originals YouTube channel.
