Krushan Naik – Resurgence

We were able to chat with Krushan Naik about his latest movie Resurgence which will be screening on Saturday January 7th at the Towne Hub in American Fork Utah as part of the Utah Film Festival. 

Resurgence follows Ryan De Vries, a professional canyoneer, encounters a near-death experience in the canyons of Southern Utah. Post the accident, his friends and family witness a changed person as Ryan battles with himself due to the trauma caused by it—crippling his everyday life. The documentary highlights Ryan’s struggles after losing his identity, along with the disparity in his journey of physical recovery, mental healing, and emotional resurgence, and how they affect one another.

What was the inspiration to make Resurgence?

I believe that we, sentient beings, can feel certain life elements like isolation, helplessness, desperation, anxiety, fear, and pain… in our life based on our experiences and circumstances. Their effects are inevitably felt deep within, maybe at different levels, but indeed felt by every soul because we all emanate from the same tenets of the universe. These universal truths transcend all age, race, caste, nation, and cultural boundaries. They are non-sectarian! Additionally, I think that in our lives, periodically, we cross paths with individuals who have no connection or relation with us whatsoever; Up until the point of our first encounter, we are not even aware of their existence. But it is shocking to see how parallel our life situations are when encountering them; If not entirely, a particular aspect of one’s life matches the other. Different traditions have different names: Parallel souls, kindred spirits, twin flame encounters, and so on. And Resurgence revolves around similar grounds discussed above.

It was in the Fall of 2020 when I heard about Ryan’s life tragedy for the first time. I believe our conversation at our home’s dining table was quite heartwarming and relieving for him. Surprisingly, it wasn’t until moments later that I realized I, too, had found profound solace in listening to him. Suddenly, my fossilized and constantly amassing feelings had found validation. Finally, they had found a voice! They now had recognition! I could feel my emotions instantly materialize and relate deeply to Ryan’s words.

Our conversation forced me to reflect upon all the events that had occurred in my life—as a brown international student—after moving to the States in 2019 for my Master’s program. It was like I was experiencing a mandatory crash course on everything that was the life of a non-immigrant away from home for years: the unrest in the country and resistance in the people during the commencement of the pandemic; the Black Lives Matter movement, and the racial tension; my abrupt move from Los Angeles to Utah due to financial instability; unanticipated heartbreak; the Presidential Elections and the attack on the Capitol, adding to the uncertainty of the future of non-immigrants in America; and so on. All of it had driven me to a space of complete uncertainty that felt like a dark abyss from which I never saw myself resurging. Until then, all my plans had backfired, dreams were shattering, the future had never looked so unclear, and every day was a new challenge in an alien world blanketed under snow for weeks and weeks. Isolation, depression, helplessness, anxiety, and fear had pushed me to the extent of doing the worst to me. Listening to Ryan, I remember asking myself, “How is it possible that the cause of our suffering is so different, but we are simultaneously experiencing the same self-worthlessness, despair, and emotional and mental distress? How come an unknown person’s feelings are so relatable not just on an intellectual but experiential level?” So, when the time came to make a film at school in the following months, Ryan’s story topped my list because it had the perfect arc that showed how to rise back from your ashes, no matter how hard life hits you. A hopeful and positive ending. Which is what I like to do with my stories.

Another significant motivation for making this film came from normalizing mental health and emotional conversations among men. Since childhood, men have been raised with the idea that talking about emotions is a synonym for expressing weakness, and they should refrain from it by becoming tougher. However, I am exceptionally emotional and like talking about my sentiments because it is comforting and healthy for my mind, body, and soul. I didn’t know it at first and had to learn it myself over the years, and I am still learning because it is an unknown territory and a complicated journey, to say the least. Hence, the entire perspective throughout making this film also evolved with time. It expanded from not only talking about Ryan’s accident but also his struggles and the kickass resurgence after..

What was the biggest challenge in getting Resurgence made? 

After extensive Pre-Production sessions under Daniel Junge’s mentorship, I wore multiple hats during the Production and Post-Production stages: Director, Producer, Cinematographer, Sound Recorder, Editor, Colorist, and so on. And Rachel Corrales joined the party later on in Post-Production for Sound Design.

As an international student, my biggest challenge was logistics and finance while making, Resurgence after enduring the pandemic. Living in Los Angeles during the Pre-Production and Production stage, I made multiple trips to Zion National Park, Utah, to shoot with a three-camera and lights set up and simultaneously record sound. Navigating the canyons was physically and mentally exhausting, demanding a more intense level of commitment, making it even more challenging to recruit people. Because the wall—where the incident occurred—was a long strenuous hike/repel deep in the canyon, carrying non-essential items was out of the question, which meant no heavy film equipment. So, I ended up recording the B-Rolls on my phone using the ProRes Codec, which allowed capturing substantial quality but consumed a ridiculous amount of storage space. Hence, every time I turned the camera on, it had to be motivated/intentional. The difficulties were beyond comprehension. Most of the decisions were last minute, hindering collaboration with peers willing to volunteer from school, and I had no money to hire professionals from the outside world.

Ryan De Vries, my subject, worked in a no cellular network area at a ranch right on the cusp of Zion; It would take days to even communicate with him at times: There were occasions when I would receive a message from him, and in the next two days, I would leave for Zion after overnight planning and assembling every piece of equipment the next day. The drives were exhausting 12/14 hours long, followed by shoot/school the next day, and at times, I would call my sister and mother back home in India to stay awake while driving.

The weather was another beast that was hard to predict. The Fall season of 2021 was rough for the areas in and around Zion as occasional unusual storms were popping up, forcing me to reschedule again and again. On one occasion, I was driving back to LA with all the school equipment, racing away from a storm, which later I learned had covered most of the Southern Utah route in the snow the following day, stopping everyday life; It was a lucky escape for me! On my last trip to Zion, while shooting the B-rolls in the canyon, Ryan and I planned to get out early, which required us to climb a steep mountain to make it back to the resort before sunset. The hike was strenuous, and I, being an unprofessional climber, had to be pulled up with a rope due to its steepness. After which, we lost our track and the sunlight, too, resulting in a thrilling final few hours. Allegedly, a mountain lion was following us, forcing us to make loud sounds with whistles and other equipment we were carrying while simultaneously rushing toward the main trail. Regarding lodging and boarding, because I couldn’t afford the resort’s guest rooms, I crashed with Ryan every time. Most nights, I slept on the floor over a yoga mat and ate PBJ sandwiches and frozen food for breakfast, lunch, and dinner to save money.

It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I gave everything in me—emotionally, physically, and mentally—to make this film and almost died three times during its Production process: twice while dozing and driving, and once while nearly becoming the alleged mountain lion’s dinner. But, all in all, it was an exciting and psychologically retrospecting project that made me nothing but even more resilient.

What do you think is the most important takeaway from your film?

“There is no story without suffering.” That’s a quote I came up with during one of the lowest points of my life after coming to America and while getting this project together, and it’s something I always use to push and self-motivate myself during challenging times. 

If you could have a do over with Resurgence, is there anything that you would have done differently? If so, what would you change?

Even though it was a rough ride, I wouldn’t change anything because all my decisions throughout Resurgence’s journey have brought me to where I am today: The Utah Film Festival! The ones that worked in my favor validated my thought process as a filmmaker, and the ones that backfired—taught me important lessons. And lessons are vital for my growth as a filmmaker.

What do you have in the works?

I am soon beginning work on a narrative feature revolving around the concepts of hate crime, exploring dysfunctional family dynamics, mostly a suspense-action thriller.

Krushan is an award-winning Filmmaker and Editor pursuing an MFA in Film & TV Production at the School of Film and Television, Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. Coming from India, he brings an extensive seven-year-long experience in the Advertising World as a sole successful proprietor of his Advertising Agency, working with Bollywood celebrities, industry-leading photographers, and the best of the film and fashion industry artists. Also, bit by the Editing bug, he loves the art of putting together hours of footage and building a world that lures and teleports the audience through amazing audio-visuals. His first-ever film was an animated short, nominated for the Viewers Choice Awards at the 24 FPS International Animation Awards 2012, Mumbai. His latest film, Resurgence, has premiered at multiple film festivals, including the Oscar®/Academy Award® qualifying St. Louis International Film Festival, and is also a winner at the 37th Fort Lauderdale International Film Festival.