Timetracker

Timetracker follows 63-year-old artist Jack Powers, released from prison after 22 years in solitary confinement. His family story spans six decades of American history, beginning with his father, whose years of experience fighting in Vietnam led to turbulence in Jack’s childhood. Jack spent time in and out of juvenile facilities, ultimately receiving an extended federal prison sentence for bank robbery. In turn, Jack’s son, Johnny, grew up fatherless, later developing an addiction which took his life short at 38, just months before his father’s release.

After leaving prison, Jack meets his wife in the San Francisco Bay Area, and they begin to create a home together, investing in an RV. Jack channels his experiences into art, creating a stop-motion animation series, as well as a life-sized replica of his solitary prison cell. His projects escalate in scale, and he insists on returning to prison to film reenactments of his dark moments.

Jack is deterred by two setbacks—his RV burning down and his 90-year-old father entering hospice care. After a 30-year estrangement, Jack travels cross-country to say goodbye, but his father refuses to see him. He then visits his ailing mother and connects with two figures from his son’s life—Johnny’s ex-girlfriend and a musical collaborator—who provide perspective and support. Jack attempts to find personal healing while making peace with his father’s past and the loss of his son.