Ashes
In 2019, film-maker, Harvard postgraduate fellow—and my close friend—Branson Laszlo lost his father, Winston Laszlo, to brain cancer. Branson spent most of his father’s last year by his side in hospice, documenting the precious final moments the two had together.
Before his father’s passing, Laszlo decided to create a film tribute to his father. He prepared to assemble a narrative across time, featuring moments recorded throughout his father’s life and his own life, and speculations of what lies ahead.
When his father died, Laszlo inherited a 27-foot, 1989 Fleetwood Bounder Motorhome—his father’s home in Denver, Colorado. Laszlo decided to take the Bounder on one final journey before parting with it. He invited me to come along as his yeoman.
The purpose of the trip was to lay Laszlo’s father to rest by spreading his ashes in familiar, cherished landscapes along the way. We started in Denver and traveled to Laszlo’s hometown of Wheeler, Oregon, stopping at many destinations along the way. We didn’t rush. The journey was one of adventure, reflection, and profound grief.
In a trial of perseverance, Laszlo overcame the Bounder’s numerous mechanical failures, moments of overwhelming emotion, and the crushing weight of his future’s uncertainty. These images encapsulate his struggles, emotions, and success on his journey to return his father and his beloved RV back home.
Photographed and written for FLUX Magazine, published 2020
Ashes received first place in the 2020 Columbia Scholastic Press Association Golden Circle Awards in the Photo Story category.
Ashes was nominated for the 2020 Hearst Journalism Awards Picture Story/Series Competition.
