My Dead Friend Zoe Interview: Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales and Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE is a dark comedy drama that follows the journey of Merit (Sonequa Martin-Green), a U.S. Army Afghanistan veteran who is at odds with her family thanks to the presence of Zoe (Natalie Morales), her dead best friend from the Army. Despite the persistence of her VA group counselor (Morgan Freeman), the tough love of her mother (Gloria Reuben) and the levity of an unexpected love interest, Merit's cozy-dysfunctional friendship with Zoe keeps the duo insulated from the world. That is until Merit's estranged grandfather (Ed Harris) -- holed up at the family's ancestral lake house -- begins to lose his way and needs the one thing he refuses... help. At its core, this is a buddy film about a complicated friendship, a divided family, and the complex ways in which we process grief.



MY DEAD FRIEND ZOE first premiered in March 2024 at the SXSW Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award. The film is the directorial debut of Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, a former U.S. Army infantry paratrooper and Iraq War Bronze Star veteran. Currently rated 100% on Rotten Tomatoes, the film is Hausmann-Stokes' creative take on the post-war experience and a tribute to veterans of all generations. Co-written with A.J. Bermudez, Hausmann-Stokes and Bermudez's poignant script laid the foundation for powerful performances from a truly all-star cast. Martin-Green's portrayal of Merit, hailed by critics as one of the best performances of the year, showcases the depth of a friendship forged in Afghanistan and the complexity of a divided family in rural Oregon. Coupled with Harris' depth and emotional resonance as Merit's grandfather battling Alzheimer's, the two characters navigate their differing war experiences with a sense of humor that is key to the film's emotional impact.



DIRECTOR STATEMENT

The subject matter addressed in the film (loss, grief, survivor's guilt, veteran experience) are intimately personal to me (the filmmaker) in that this is an autobiographical story. I am a US Army combat veteran of Iraq, lost battle buddies (over there and back home), have a complicated relationship with my Vietnam veteran grandfather; also my service in general. This film is the catharsis and result of over a decade of internal debate and self-acceptance around these issues. It's also an Impact Film; three of the most prominent national nonprofits have partnered with the film, their logos and a 'how to make a direct impact' call-to-action appears first up in the end credits.



Directed by: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes

Written by: Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, A.J. Bermudez

Starring:​​Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Ed Harris, Morgan Freeman, Gloria Reuben,

Utkarsh Ambudkar

Produced by: Produced by: Paul Scanlan, Kyle Hausmann-Stokes, Terri Lubaroff, Ray Maiello, Mike Field, Richard Silverman, Robert Paschall Jr.

Executive Produced by: Travis Kelce, Ed Harris, Sonequa Martin-Green, Natalie Morales, Jeff Annison, David Baxter, Brandi Plants, Nancy Masterson, Joe Masterson, Igor Tsukerman

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