With the recent death of David Lynch, many people may be digging through his excellent filmography. While he only directed 10 feature films, he was involved in scores of other projects, one of which might seem familiar if you've browsed the filmographies of many other great actors and filmmakers. Johnny Depp, J.K. Simmons, Laura Dern, Sam Raimi, Peter Farrelly, Penelope Ann Miller, Chad Coleman, Richard Chamberlain, Catherine Hardwicke, Theodore Melfi, Jade Pettyjohn, and others. The title is The Black Ghiandola, and it's a short film written by and starring Anthony Conti, a 16-year-old cancer patient who made the film two months before he passed away.
The production was made possible by the Make A Film Foundation, a nonprofit established in 2007 that helps children enduring serious or life-threatening medical conditions to create short film legacies by teaming them with industry professionals who volunteer their time. Conti was diagnosed with Stage 4 Adrenal Cortical Cancer; the lifelong cinephile and horror buff was determined to make a real film, and the foundation helped him accomplish it.
The aforementioned talent came together to fulfill Conti's vision of The Black Ghiandola, a post-apocalyptic zombie story about a young man whose family has been killed and who risks his life to save a young girl in a desperate situation. It was more than a horror film; according to Anthony, it was a metaphor for his condition. The Black Ghiandola was released on April 22, 2017, almost three months after Conti passed away on January 29, 2017, surrounded by his loving family. As Conti's obituary reads:
"Over the past summer, Anthony began taking a film class at the high school, however shortly after the start of the course, he was diagnosed with Adrenocortical Cancer, leaving the class to begin treatment. After his diagnosis, Anthony contacted the Make A Film Foundation, eager to speak with them about a major Hollywood Film that he wanted to make. His wish was granted and he was flown to Los Angeles, where he worked with A-list celebrities and top Hollywood directors and crew members to create his film, The Black Ghiandola."
You can watch the full short film below.
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The film itself seems like a cathartic exercise for Conti, who was himself facing an apocalypse of his own. When you are dying, you feel as if everyone you know is dying with you. In his short film, his parents have died and become zombies, and his world is on the brink of collapse. He's infected and knows that he doesn't have long. When a girl his age shows up at his door seeking help, he puts his chances of survival aside to help her.
The hospital scene is arguably the most memorable part of The Black Ghiandola ("ghiandola" is an Italian term for glands, and Conti, of Italian descent, had cancer of the adrenal gland). We get to see a nerve-wracked Laura Dern have a disturbing scene with David Lynch, which is great, but it's Johnny Depp's wacky doctor (and gruesome death scene) that's a delight here. Behind-the-scenes footage has him and Conti cracking each other up with adlibs, and it's enough to bring a tear to your eye. So if you're looking to remember David Lynch after his passing, remember Anthony Conti, too.