Contending with feelings of loneliness and isolation is a relatable motivator for young protagonists to rise up and demand to be heard in heartfelt, coming-of-age narratives. The new movie, ‘How I learned to Fly,’ is one such project that powerfully reflects the struggle on all those in society who are so vulnerable that they fall outside of the mainstream.

The project marks the feature film writing, directorial and editing debuts of Simon Steuri. He’s one such auteur who based his movie on his own personal experiences of feeling unseen during his own childhood, while he was growing up in Switzerland in the 1980s.

A self-describe child who was highly gifted yet social withdrawn, unable to communicate with other people, Steuri was inspired to pen and helm the drama in order to tell his story. The movie chronicles how, like him, the young main characters in the drama are united by the joy of finding kindness where they least expect it, especially when they can’t relate to their peers, families and neighbors.

‘How I learned to Fly’ follows two African-American teenage brothers who suddenly find themselves on their own after being mysteriously abandoned by their parents. Deeply haunted by the mental and physical abuse inflicted by their father, Cliff (Wu-Tang Clan’s Cliff “Method Man” Smith), elder brother Daniel (Marcus Scribner, ABC’s ‘Black-ish’) is determined to keep his and his brother’s lives from falling apart. He maintains a daily routine, working as a dishwasher and doing his best to keep a roof over their heads.

Younger brother Eli (Lonnie Chavis, NBC’s ‘This Is Us’) struggles to cope with the absence of their mother, leaving her voicemail messages in search of answers. Embarking on a journey of survival and self-discovery, they uncover moments of beauty, newfound meaning and enduring love that strengthen their bond, despite the uncertain road ahead.

Steuri generously took the time last week to talk about scribing, directing and editing ‘How I Learned to Fly’ during an exclusive interview over Zoom. The feature is now playing in theaters, courtesy of Film Movement.

Watch the trailer for ‘How I Learned to Fly’ here.