Buried Treasure

Buried Treasure is a funny and touching short film that showcases the writing and acting skills of Jeff Galfer, who created this unique piece. The film details how, as Galfer's Kickstarter project described, "fortunes shift for a man stricken by tragedy when he unwittingly stumbles upon hidden treasure."

Buried Treasure takes its audience into the struggle of a man who seems as lost and direction-less as a man can be - and yet a man who finds, in a serendipitous series of chance encounters, a way to share his own soul and the feelings he has yet to own.

Galfer's film, directed by ABC's "The River" co-star and actress/director Leslie Hope, is just off- center enough to make it somewhat zany (in a really good way), and ultimately, poignant and warm. And for those who know a bit about the new sport/hobby of geocaching, it offers a challenging new perspective on the prospect of finding "treasures" and ways to share oneself and one's story with the world.

This poignant film about a grief stricken man who has lost the love of his life is both sad and humorous at the same time. Life has dealt Mark a lousy blow, and he now looks like a lost and hollowed out shell of a man. He moves through his daily life with almost no energy or even feeling when an unusual thing happens. He encounters a hidden treasure in a convenience store men's room. The attendant explains the game of geo caching, and especially why he participates - so that he can essentially be remembered. Subtly, you see the change come over Mark who decides to hide something of himself and his lost wife's. This act shows the turning point in Mark's life as he rediscovers his will to live in the act of burying his treasures.

I showed the film to a couple,both of whom had lost spouses when young. The husband remarked that his life was very similar to Mark's - he felt lost and only going through the motions of daily living. The wife commented that she had the same aversion to food that Mark did - barely eating enough to keep going. Both were deeply touched by this short but meaningful film.

Buried Treasure is film storytelling at it's very best. Every aspect of this film, from the script to the acting to the production elements and music, is quality.