Heidi Ott is a local treasure with a lovely voice and gracious presence, so it's little surprise that her sound was chosen for Getting Grace, a heartfelt film dealing with the emotionally fraught navigation of terminal illness.
Co-written, directed by and starring Bethlehem native Daniel Roebuck, Getting Grace follows a mortician whose life is changed by a 16-year-old cancer patient, played by Madelyn Dundon of Bethlehem. Having spent over a decade working with hospice patients, Ott says, “I can honestly say the Getting Grace family masterfully captures what it's like to face terminal illness—not just for the patient, but for those closest to them.” Equal parts hilarious and inspiring, this film promises that beautiful catharsis of laughing until you cry, and it was filmed with a largely native team entirely at local spots like Monocacy Park, the Moravian Book Shop and St. Luke's Hospital.
When Ott's friend and co-producer of the film Jeff Hartney shared her album Chantepleure (to sing and cry simultaneously) with Roebuck, he asked her to compose music for the whole film. Performed with her guitarist Joel Zingone, the track “Linger” from Chantepleure as well as a Getting Grace original, “Sunrise to Sunset,” are on the soundtrack. When it came to arranging, Roebuck gave Ott free rein, asking only for a spiritual tone. “I was particularly inspired by ancient hymns,” Ott says. “It's different writing for a soundtrack as opposed to writing for my album in that the movie has many moving parts. You need to be certain that what you're creating fits perfectly.”
Roebuck, whose directorial debut follows a long career in shows like Lost and The Man in the High Castle, also invited Ott to appear in a scene, so keep an eye out for her when you stream Getting Grace this fall from VOD or Netflix.
