A Text Message, a Subway Ride, and a World of Change
by BLOCK Producer Alex Krumpholz
For those of you who do not already know me, my name is Alex and I’ve been working as a producer on BLOCK. To explain how I became involved in this production, I first have to explain how I know Carrie.
I first met Carrie in 2012. I was a Junior in college and she was an incoming Freshman. One of my best friends at the time, Morgan, had gone to high school with Carrie and had basically described her as one of the “craziest, funniest, happiest people” she knew. Cut to: 2 years of sorority events and college parties spent in the same social circle but little time actually spent as friends. I experienced 2 years of my life within the same 5 mile radius and in the same social circle as Carrie, but we never really actually knew each other.
It wasn’t until 2018, when I received a random text from Carrie asking for my email, that we actually began to form a relationship. That was the day Carrie sent me the script for BLOCK.
I remember reading the script end to end on the subway ride home that night and feeling so in awe. In awe of Carrie’s vulnerability and honesty, and in awe of the fact that she came to me for help.
That email was the start of my involvement in the BLOCK project, and also the start of a friendship that I didn’t even realize at the time I needed.
We began in coffee shops (Joe & the Juice off the 6 train in Soho to be exact), brainstorming what Carrie wanted this movie to be. Talking about logo designs, mood boards, locations, and production team members. Carrie would record all of our conversations that sometimes were literally hours of babbling (did she even listen to these later, idfk??) and we would just sit there dreaming up ways to bring this script to life.
Early BLOCK logo & theme sketches.
As the years went on, our meetings expanded to lunches in my old office lobby, late nights at Blank Slate until they kicked us out, hours of sitting on my couch, and countless zoom calls. We created the logo and fleshed out the film, yes, but we did so much more than that too. We built a website, planned the Indiegogo campaign, launched a social media strategy, planned 2 fundraising events in 2 cities, threw a panel sponsored by my old company (shoutout to Roomrs) featuring a group of amazing LGBTQ+ influencers, shot and edited the movie poster, and watched 1,000+ cuts of trailers, all while also producing a film (oh, and working our day jobs).
Late night production meetings at Joe & The Juice.
When someone asks me what BLOCK means to me, it’s honestly hard to put into words. I threw myself into this project because I could tell from the start this was a film with a story unlike anything I had seen before. Yes it’s a coming out story, but to me it’s so much more than that.
This is a story about finding the confidence to truly love yourself, without the assistance and support of others.
Almost every coming of age/coming out/self-growth/etc story I’ve ever seen features two main characters: the protagonist who is struggling, and the person they meet along the way who helps them grow. Don’t get me wrong, I am a huge proponent of LGBTQ+ representation in films and also a very vocal advocate for mental health. Basically anything with those storylines - sign me up, you’ve got my support. But when I read this script for the first time I had that “ah-ha” moment.
I found myself wondering “why aren’t more films/books/stories showing us that we can find the courage to be ourselves and love ourselves without relying on others to get there?” I realized in that moment that we needed more stories that teach us that we don’t have to fall in love just to feel valid and accepted.
Throughout the years of working on BLOCK, I also realized how truly relevant the movie’s message was to my own personal life. Especially during the era of COVID, life can feel, for lack of a better word, just lonely. When you can’t immerse yourself in the world outside and distract yourself with people around you, what do you do to feel whole?
But even during a pandemic, the world keeps moving, and we need to find ways to cope with each new struggle we face. BLOCK is a reminder that we are all worthy of acceptance, just the way we are. It’s a reminder that regardless of who we are, we each have “blocks” along the way too.
To be totally transparent, I’ve struggled with both my sexuality and mental health for many years, especially lately. But I have felt so lucky to be involved in a project that consistently reminds me that I am not alone. You are not alone. We are not alone.
After almost 3 years of hard work, we’ve made it to a virtual premiere solely because of so many amazing people who believed in this message too. Over the past 3 years, when I’ve felt the most alone, I’ve tried to remind myself of the sheer number of people who have given their time, money, and resources to make this story a reality.
It may have taken Carrie and I over 6 years and multiple cities to even become friends, but it just goes to show you that one text and a little vulnerability can spark a whole world of change. Saying I’m grateful for this experience is an understatement.