Imagine seeing your high school years unfold on the silver screen. This is the reality for Eric Chavez, whose teenage life is chronicled in the documentary “Unfinished Work”, which recently debuted at the Phoenix Film Festival. The film captures Chavez’s journey through his senior year at Metro Arts High School in Phoenix, highlighting his role in a school play, his pursuit of music, and the profound impact of his family’s tragedy.
In the documentary, viewers witness Chavez’s life as he takes on a significant role in a school production and works on creating an album. Amid these pursuits, the Chavez family continues to navigate the loss of Eric’s younger brother, Romeo, who died at the age of two. Recalling the incident, Chavez shared, “I didn’t believe what happened had happened, even though I was the one I saw. But I was maybe 30 feet away from where my younger brother was,” emphasizing the trauma of witnessing the accident.
The 12-year-long project is the brainchild of Stephanie Lucas, Chavez’s high school teacher and filmmaker. While initially intended to document just one year, the film evolved to cover over a decade of Chavez’s life. Now almost 30, Chavez reflects on the impact of this ongoing project.
The Making of “Unfinished Work”
STEPHANIE LUCAS: “You know, I’d go to work, and I would see these wonderful scenes play out in my classroom all the time. And I would just think, oh, my gosh, this could be a really beautiful observational film to watch these students. And so, I was thinking about this particular year that was coming up.”
Lucas noticed Chavez’s multifaceted talents and challenges from an early stage. She anticipated his potential to excel in the school play, “The Tempest,” and recognized the depth of his personal history, which she believed would enrich the narrative.
ERIC CHAVEZ: Reminiscing about his younger days, Chavez admitted, “Yeah, I was a little egotistical art school student who thought the only things I wanted to be when I was growing up was a scientist and a rock star.” This openness to experiencing life was what made him an ideal subject for Lucas’s film.
Initially, the project focused on Chavez’s school life, but as filming progressed, it expanded to include his family, leading to moments of contention. Chavez explained, “I think it got away from us, I think, a little bit there,” highlighting the complexities of capturing real life over an extended period.
Exploring Personal Growth
The film also delves into the impact of Romeo’s death on Chavez. He described his struggle with PTSD and the journey of self-discovery that followed, saying, “I was constantly trying to like remember him, but every time that I would remember him, because I’d never confronted my feelings about the trauma… it would conflate with this like horrible thing.”
STEPHANIE LUCAS: As the filmmaker, Lucas observed Chavez’s growth over time. “He’s constantly evolving. And I think we all are. And I think that is one takeaway that I have seen,” she stated, noting the significance of the film’s title, “Unfinished Work.”
ERIC CHAVEZ: Reflecting on the project’s conclusion, Chavez shared, “I wanted to find the button on my life of like, what is the project that defines my life?” Despite creating multiple music albums and traveling, it was a spontaneous philosophical reflection that provided the film’s ending.
STEPHANIE LUCAS: Lucas recounted, “He said it so poetically, that it was a moment where I felt like, OK, we can put the cameras down now,” marking the completion of a documentary that is as much about the process of growing up as it is about capturing a life on film.
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