Podtalk: Michael Glover Smith Proves Everything is 'Relative'

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CHICAGO – The journey from idea to completed film is a fever dream for the writer/director. Chicago-based filmmaker Michael Glover Smith has realized his dreams in his fourth feature film, “Relative.” The story of family, set in the neighborhood of Rogers Park, begins its local run at Music Box Theatre on June 8th, 2022.

“Relative” is a film about transition, as a family gathers for the youngest son/brother’s college graduation. Each individual family member is dealing with a situational crossroads, and the family togetherness both modifies and challenges them. Meanwhile, the college graduate (Cameron Scott Roberts) has serendipitously fallen for Hekla (Elizabeth Stam). The film also features Wendy Robie, Francis Guinan, Keith D. Gallagher, Emily Lape, Melissa DuPrey and Clare Cooney.

’Relative’ Begins Its Theatrical Run in Chicago
Photo credit: Chicago Film Project

Writer/Director Michael Glover Smith is also an author and film studies instructor (at Oakton Community College and elsewhere), and is based in Chicago. His first feature film, “Cool Apocalypse,” premiered in 2015, the same release year as his first book, “Flickering Empire: How Chicago Invented the U.S. Film Industry.” His next two films were “Mercury in Retrograde” in 2017, and “Rendezvous in Chicago” in 2018. Production on “Relative” was delayed 13 months due to the pandemic, and the film was completed in 2021.

In PART ONE of a Podtalk with Patrick McDonald of HollywoodChicago.com, writer/director Michael Glover Smith explains that everything is “Relative” …

In PART TWO Professor Smith corrects the interviewer’s French pronunciation, the origin of which has been cleverly edited out …

BONUS, an EXCLUSIVE Trailer for “Relative,” featuring Michael Glover Smith …

The Official Trailer for “Relative” …

By PATRICK McDONALD Editor and Film Writer HollywoodChicago.com pat@hollywoodchicago.com