Dream of the Holy Fool is a mythic street film with thriller momentum and dark humor. Set on a divided Philly block on the verge of a riot, a wandering holy fool moves between neighbors split by a shuttered plant and a looming EPA decision, gambling he can plant something real before the block tears itself apart.
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Contribute ↗Dream of the Holy Fool is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a 501(c)(3) public charity. Contributions for the charitable purposes of this project are made payable to Fractured Atlas and are tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law. Merch purchases are not tax-deductible.
When I was a kid, I would look at the people my parents viewed as outsiders and ask myself, what if they were Jesus? Would I be the kind of person who would recognize Jesus if I heard them speak? That question is the kernel of the idea that inspired me to write this story.
I live in Philadelphia, on blocks like the one in this film, places shaped by toxic industry, real estate pressure, and neighbors split by politics but bound by survival. With all of this division, there seems to be no room left for the spiritual perspective, and I wonder if that is exactly what we need in order to heal. I no longer wanted to separate the street where kids breathe lead dust from the inner work of love, non-violence, and awakening. I wanted one story where they collide.
The Holy Fool is not a savior but a catalyst. Over one charged day he moves through the block, listening, provoking, and quietly refusing everyone’s usual scripts until each neighbor has to feel their own complicity. When the violence peaks and he is struck down, the fighting dies. The neighbors are left standing in a circle with the wreckage, and with the tree he carried. Together, they dig into ground as hard as brick and plant it. It is not a magic fix. It is the moment of seeing clearly, and it leaves us with one hard question: now that you see, what will you do?
Gritty Philly street realism shot through with grace. Imagine Joan of Arc dropped into the middle of Do the Right Thing.
Before building the feature, I shot a proof-of-concept short to establish the world, the tone, and the central character. Watch the film that started the Holy Fool universe, free — sign up for the newsletter and it's on its way.