Buckethead
Played as a vivid nightmare, six-year-old Benjamin relives a traumatic moment as bullies bury his head in a sandbox, suffocating him. Struggling for air, his body fights back in a desperate act of survival.
The film asks: How does childhood trauma shape us as adults?
Director's Statement
A childhood experience at age six inspired this deeply personal story. Growing up with high functioning autism, I was often bullied. Three boys in my class frequently targeted me because of it, once forcing a sand covered red bucket onto my head and burying me head deep in a sandbox.
The trauma led to intense nightmares. Every night, my mother placed chairs by my bed to keep me from falling to the ground.
In my dreams, I did something I couldn’t do in real life – I fought back – only to wake up with scratches or a bloodied fist from hitting the wall with full force. Instead of punishing my bullies, the school moved me to another class, but the cycle continued. Teachers made me feel like a burden, and I was too ashamed to confide in my parents. Feeling isolated and broken, I struggled to stand up for myself.
Children can be cruel to what they don’t understand. By telling this story, I hope to inspire empathy, spark conversations about trauma, and help others feel less alone – something I deeply longed for as a child.