Story

Forced into a group home, a troubled teen artist draws upon
her connection with nature to escape into a fantasy world,
where she confronts the reality of her traumatic past.

"TO THE FIREFLIES follows Olivia, a sixteen-year old girl who is forced into Switchgrass, a group home for girls, after a series of altercations with her small town’s law enforcement and numerous family conflicts. In this new environment, Olivia recalls how she constructed a fantasy world in her psyche to escape the trauma and harsh reality of her childhood. She shares the memories of this magical world with Rebecca, another resident with whom she develops a close connection. Together the two embark on creating an illustrated storybook based on Olivia’s memories of this fantastical reality; the storybook is brought to life on-screen through the use of animated magical realism. Olivia, who is rebellious and independent, struggles to follow the rules enforced by Caleb, the home’s director, who established the organization with Natalie, the staff therapist, many years ago. Caleb’s own complicated past of tragically losing his teenage daughter clouds his projections and interactions with Olivia. Facing a state review of the facility, Caleb needs all hands-on deck, including Olivia’s, to improve the house and maintain crucial funding. Olivia is forced to pitch in and finds her niche in cultivating the lifeless garden, which ultimately nourishes her own imagination. While Olivia is hesitant to engage in self-reflection, she gains the courage to examine her dark past when she develops a relationship with the residential therapist Natalie, who struggles to come to terms with her own family trauma. After a series of confrontations at Switchgrass, Olivia escapes, only to realize this was the first place she felt safe. Unable to return, Olivia is propelled emotionally into a crisis point where she finally recalls the trauma that has been haunting her, taking her first major step towards healing. In the climatic animated sequence, Olivia demonstrates her newfound resilience as she speaks with a younger version of herself, who is hiding in the forest amongst fireflies, and tells her that one day she will be safe.