Jared Harris & Damian Harris onBrave the Dark and Finding Light in a Story of Resilience

In Brave the Dark, director Damian Harris and actor Jared Harris bring to the screen a deeply human story about connection, trust, and transformation. Based on the true life of Nate, a young man navigating trauma and displacement, the film explores how a single mentor,,Stan, a teacher played by Jared Harris helped change the course of his life.

The film’s origins are just as personal as its story. Nate himself wrote the first draft of the script, capturing his journey from early childhood through high school. For Damian Harris, the heart of the narrative was always clear: the relationship between Stan and Nate.

“It was rarely that I reach the end of a script and am actually moved to tears,” Harris recalled. “But I was by this one—because of where both Stan and Nate arrive by the end.”

For Jared Harris, portraying Stan meant embracing a kind of sincerity that audiences rarely see on screen anymore.

“We’re so cynical now, we’re always looking for the ulterior motive,” Harris reflected. “But everyone I spoke to, from former students to parents, described Stan as someone with an open heart. My challenge was to play him truthfully, without sentimentality.”

That authenticity was reinforced by the Lancaster community itself, where the film was shot. Locals who had known Stan during his teaching years shared anecdotes, provided resources, and even reminded Jared of the “big shoes” he had to fill.

While the film is an emotional drama, Damian Harris also saw it as part mystery. As Stan slowly earns Nate’s trust, he begins to uncover the unspoken trauma at the root of Nate’s pain.

“It becomes a detective story,” Harris explained. “Stan is delicately pushing Nate to confront the truth he’s been avoiding, and that dual drive of emotional growth and hidden mystery gives the film its momentum.”

One pivotal scene illustrates this breakthrough: Stan unleashing a torrent of F-bombs to jolt Nate into listening. For Nate, it was a turning point. As Jared Harris noted, “He never swears again in the movie after that scene—the penny drops.”

That delicate relationship between Stan and Nate is mirrored in the collaboration between Jared Harris and Nicholas Hamilton, who plays Nate. The two spent a month rehearsing and building trust.

“Nicholas was brave,” Jared said. “On the surface, Nate’s confident and cocky, but underneath he’s broken. It takes courage to play someone who risks alienating the audience early on, and to trust the story will bring people back to understanding him.”

Brave the Dark is not just about survival—it’s about the power of human connection to heal. Through understated performances, careful pacing, and emotional honesty, the film honors both Nate’s truth and Stan’s enduring legacy as a teacher who believed in his students.

As Jared Harris put it, the essence of playing Stan came down to this:

“Sometimes, you just let his heart crack quickly and quietly and then move on. That’s what we do in life. We protect ourselves. But every so often, someone comes along who helps us let the light in.”

Watch the full conversation below:

Q&A on the film Brave the Dark with director Damian Harris and actor Jared Harris. Moderated by Mara Webster, In Creative Company.