Episode 19: Aaron Davidman; A Director Explains Why American Solitaire Is About Community Over Fear

Send us Fan MailA gun store in Alaska. A filmmaker from Berkeley. A quiet movie about a noisy country. We talk with director writer producer Aaron Davidman about American Solitaire and the long road from early theater mentors to a feature film built for real conversations, not talking points.We get into what shaped Aaron’s craft from intense conservatory training to learning how to direct, fund raise, market, and keep going when the first edit feels like a catastrophe. He shares how research trips and interviews about firearms and gun violence led him to a veteran-centered story focused on reintegration, moral weight, and the moments people hide behind a “fine” exterior. We also unpack why language matters in suicide prevention, including the shift toward saying “die by suicide,” and how loneliness can quietly push people toward harm.Then we go straight into the hard stuff: firearm safety, safe storage, training, background checks, straw purchases, and the trust gap that makes “common sense gun reform” so difficult. From the perspective of a working gun store owner, we talk about what can realistically happen at the counter, when to slow a transaction down, and why community screenings and post-film discussions can change behavior the way designated drivers changed drunk driving norms.Subscribe for more grounded conversations, share this with someone who wants nuance over noise, and leave a review with your biggest takeaway.