I first met Justin at a birthday party of a girl whose name I can’t seem to remember. We were seated next to each other as the group sat in a circle playing a silly game. 

The thing I immediately noticed about him was his laid back, “too cool for school demeanor but that he’s the kind of person who makes you feel like you’ve known one another for ages. 

What comes to mind when I think of Justin is: laughter, joy, peace, calm and someone who has a “fuck it…life is short” mentality.

Fast forward a few months - a group of us are packed like sardines in a restaurant booth chatting over nachos and beer about life and dating L.A. Casually Justin mentions how he used to serve in the Navy.

My ears perked up as the conversation quickly shifted to something else - but a seed was planted that day.

The image that most of us have ingrained in our minds about what a war vet looks like and how they carry themselves is not at all what I see as I’ve gotten to know Justin.

Even in the work he creates as a cinematographer, I would have never guessed that he served 6.5 years in the Navy & Marine Corps.

How does someone who has seen what he has seen exude so much joy?

How does one go from Afghanistan to New York and LA successfully navigating an often times vicious and intimidating creative landscape with a huge smile on his face?

How has he been able to reinvent and start over?

These are the questions I want to explore with this film because I believe Justin has something to teach us all about starting over, living life to the fullest and just doin it!

We are currently in post production with hopes of being finished by January 2024. 🙏🏾

See Justin’s work : @justlamarcarter