Sal Bardo’s Out of the Woods Navigates Love, Memory, and the Courage to Be Seen
By Cesar A Reyes
Some stories change as we grow older. For writer-director Sal Bardo, Out of the Woods began as one story and slowly transformed into something much deeper: a reflection on love, loss, memory, and the moments in life when we must decide whether to finally embrace who we are.
The film, screening at this year’s FilmOut San Diego LGBTQ+ Film Festival, follows two women whose decades-long relationship has remained hidden, forcing them to confront the emotional weight of a love they were never fully able to live openly. The story explores what happens when time begins to run out and the memories that define us start to fade.
Bardo’s inspiration came from an earlier short film project. “Originally, it was about two teens who run off together, but I wanted to find a new way to tell that story,” he explains. “I thought, ‘What if it’s two older people—and what if it’s two women?’” Around the time marriage equality passed in the United States, Bardo began thinking about older generations of LGBTQ+ people who spent much of their lives without the freedoms available today.
“Would it be too late to enjoy some of that newfound freedom?” became the question that shaped the film.
At the heart of Out of the Woods is Max, a character Bardo says feels especially personal. Through her journey, the film examines the fear of reaching the end of life with regrets about the things left unsaid or undone.
“Max embodies all of my fears: getting to the end of my life and not loving who I wanted to love, saying what I wanted to say, making the films I wanted to make,” Bardo says. “I think that’s a universal fear that everyone can relate to.”
The film does not shy away from the reality that sometimes life does not offer perfect timing or easy resolutions. Instead, Bardo hopes audiences leave with a renewed sense of urgency. “I want you to walk out of the theater and feel inspired to be who you are, love who you want to love, and say what you want to say without apology. Before it’s too late.”
Memory plays a powerful role in the story, with Max beginning to experience signs of dementia. The storyline was inspired in part by a health scare within Bardo’s own family, adding another emotional layer to the film’s exploration of identity and connection.
“It’s first and foremost a story about memory,” he says. “If you knew you only had a certain amount of time left, would it impact the choices you make?”
Helping bring that emotional journey to life is an impressive cast featuring Frances Fisher, Bruce Davison, and Mimi Kennedy. Bardo describes working with the veteran actors as both intimidating and inspiring. When production faced an unexpected camera breakdown, the setback became an opportunity for the actors to dig deeper into their characters.
“We didn’t have much time to rehearse, so it was a blessing in disguise,” he says. “I was there to guide them, but I mostly just watched three pros bring my characters to life.”
For Bardo, bringing Out of the Woods to FilmOut San Diego is a meaningful moment. “You never know when you’re making a film who, if anyone, is going to embrace it,” he says. “Anytime a film is invited to be part of a lineup is special, especially if it’s an LGBTQ festival.”
With its exploration of love, memory, and the importance of living honestly, Out of the Woods reminds audiences that the time to tell our stories and embrace who we are is always now.