A Cow in the Sky
An extraordinary true story of resilience and hope in the shadow of a movement of hate. Life rights secured by A May Sky Picture Entertainment.
A narrative live-action feature film based on a true story & the award-winning short A Cow in the Sky (Tribeca)
LOGLINE
Based on true events, A Cow in the Sky follows Mulugeta, an Ethiopian student and refugee whose hopes for a better life in America are shattered when he is murdered by white supremacists in Portland, OR, and the extraordinary coming-of-age journey of Caleb, his son, who transforms his grief into a soaring pursuit of his own destiny.
SYNOPSIS
A Cow in the Sky is a true story that weaves together the immigrant journey, a shattered American Dream, and the healing power of family and human connection, while also illuminating a pivotal chapter in the rise of modern hate in America. It follows Mulugeta, an ambitious Ethiopian student and refugee whose hopeful arrival in America is tragically cut short by white supremacists. Meanwhile, in Ethiopia, his partner Liya fights to survive and raise their son, Caleb, on her own. When Mulugeta’s murder sparks a landmark trial against hate leader Tom Metzger, Caleb is brought to America by civil rights attorney and Southern Poverty Law Center founder Morris Dees and unexpectedly winds up in the care of Jim “Mac” McElroy—a confirmed bachelor and scrappy personal injury attorney whose own troubled past drives him to honor Mulugeta’s legacy—forever changing the course of both their lives. Living with Mac, Caleb embarks on an extraordinary coming-of-age journey, carving his own path and discovering his passion for aviation. His dramatic and death defying first solo flight becomes the moment he takes control of his destiny, proving he can be the hero of his own story. All of this unfolds against the dark backdrop of Tom Metzger's ongoing quest to spread hate and his threatening presence in Caleb's life, making Caleb's conviction and pursuit of identity, hope, and a better future a powerful tribute to his father and a searing commentary on the American Dream.
Character Descriptions
Mulugeta
Mulugeta is a visionary and resilient man who leaves a troubled homeland in Ethiopia in search of a brighter future in America. Driven by ambition and the promise of opportunity, he dedicates himself to building a new life and instilling hope in all those around him. His journey is marked by courage, sacrifice, and an unwavering commitment to his dreams, which he passes on to his son, Caleb. Although his life is tragically cut short by a violent act of hate, Mulugeta’s spirit endures in the legacy of resilience and determination he leaves behind—one that challenges his son to embrace his heritage, overcome loss, and pursue a future defined by hope and achievement.
Caleb
Caleb is a sensitive, determined young Ethiopian boy grappling with the legacy of loss and the weight of expectation. Orphaned by a brutal hate crime that claimed his father—a refugee striving for a better life in America—Caleb faces the dual challenge of embracing his heritage while trying to fit into a new, often alien, world in San Diego. His internal struggle is marked by a constant search for identity and belonging, yet his burgeoning passion for flight offers him a path toward self-discovery. Through the thrill of air shows, biplane rides, and his first solo flight, Caleb transforms his grief into a soaring dream, determined to honor the man his father was and to forge a future defined by resilience and hope.
Mac
Mac is a sharp-tongued, driven lawyer who never envisioned himself as a family man, burdened by the scars of an abusive, racist father from his own past. Initially focused solely on his career and the pursuit of justice, Mac’s life takes a dramatic turn when he becomes the guardian of Caleb. The boy’s passion for aviation and his own unyielding spirit challenge Mac to confront his personal demons. As he embarks on a relentless crusade against white supremacist Tom Metzger—a mission fueled by both professional ambition and deep-seated personal vendetta—Mac discovers that the love and responsibility of fatherhood can redeem even the darkest corners of his history.
Liya
Liya is a resilient and compassionate woman whose own journey of survival mirrors the strength she instills in her son, Caleb. Bearing the heartbreak of separation and loss in Ethiopia, Liya navigates the hardships of life with unwavering dignity and determination. Her sacrifice and enduring love for Caleb are the emotional anchors that keep his heritage alive, even as he battles to carve out his own identity in a new world. Liya’s struggle to maintain her sense of self and honor the memory of Mulugeta enriches the narrative, underscoring the intergenerational fight for dignity, belonging, and a better future.
Metzger
Tom Metzger is a cold, charismatic white supremacist whose extremist ideology and unrelenting pursuit of hate cast a long shadow over the lives he touches. With a calculated and ruthless determination, Metzger rallies his followers with incendiary rhetoric, embodying the pernicious legacy of racism that stands in stark opposition to the themes of hope and resilience. His actions are not only a catalyst for the tragic events that upend Caleb’s life but also serve as a bitter foil to the transformative journeys of both Caleb and Mac. Metzger’s presence raises the haunting question of whether the sins of the father are destined to be passed down—or if the cycle of hate can be broken.
Core Themes & Tone
Core Themes:
Resilience & Redemption: Overcoming the cycle of hate and the shadows of the past.
Identity & Legacy: Embracing one’s cultural roots and personal history.
Family & Transformation: Redefining what it means to be a family through unexpected bonds.
Flight as Metaphor: Using aviation as a symbol of freedom, aspiration, and self-determination.
Tone:
A balanced mix of intense drama and uplifting humor.
Moments of raw emotional confrontation interspersed with scenes that celebrate humanity and hope.
Visual aesthetic. Directorial approach.
Visual Aesthetic:
Atmospheric cinematography that juxtaposes the gritty earthy realities of locations like a Sudanese Refugee Camp, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, Portland, OR and San Diego with its expansive, liberating skies.
A blend of intimate close-ups capturing emotional nuance and sweeping aerial shots symbolizing Caleb’s journey.
Directorial Approach:
Emphasis on character-driven storytelling, with rich visual symbolism (airplanes, skies, cultural imagery) reinforcing the narrative.
A narrative rhythm that seamlessly shifts between the high-stakes story lines of escaping war torn Ethiopia, Tom Metzger’s hate movement in America, courtroom and collections drama, and the personal introspection story line of Caleb’s coming of age journey.
Market Potential & Audience
Market Strength:
Timely exploration of racial injustice and resilience resonates in today’s cultural landscape.
A unique blend of high emotional stakes and relatable humor increases its appeal across diverse demographics and film festivals.
Target Audience:
Viewers of inspirational dramas and true-story biopics.
Audiences drawn to films addressing social justice, immigrant experiences, and personal redemption.
Millions of Americans remember the murder of Mulugeta Seraw.
It was a defining moment in media and legal history. Americans across the country collectively learned about this landmark hate crime committed in Portland, OR and Tom Metzger, the man who trained the racist skinheads who carried out his orders. The murder of Mulugeta Seraw and the subsequent trial by the Southern Poverty Law Center literally rocked our nation's psychology, culture drivers, and media outlets. National news sources including CNN and Bill Moyers, TV pop culture drivers including Oprah, Sally Jessy Raphael, Morton Downey Jr. Whoopi Goldberg, and every major newspaper covered this story. Most recently, in 2024, Rachael Maddow produced a full segment on MSNBC about Mulugeta and the trial. Oprah points to her segment featuring Tom Metzger’s skinheads as a defining moment in her career as a journalist.
Our story comes with a built-in audience.
Forever stitched into the fabric of American culture, our story comes with a built-in audience ready to learn more - and a new generation eager to discover the origins of the modern day white supremacy movement through the eyes of a young immigrant boy who fights to create his own destiny.
“I was doing more to empower them rather than expose them, since that moment, I’ve never done a show like that again” OPRAH
Below is a sample of the national media attention our story and real life characters continue to receive.
Why This Film Matters
Emotional Impact:
A moving testament to the power of family and the human spirit—a narrative that shows how personal and societal redemption are possible.
Cultural Relevance:
Tackles pressing issues of racism, hate, and the immigrant experience with authenticity and hope.
Inspiration & Empowerment:
Celebrates the transformative potential of pursuing one’s dreams, as Caleb turns his grief into a soaring achievement that defies the legacy of hate.
A Cow in the Sky started animated & short.
Written and Directed by C. Fraser Press + Darren Press.
Reviews for A Cow in the Sky (short)
Awards Daily
“An early Oscar contender”
Sunshine State Cineplex
“One of the most important films of Tribeca 2023. This is special and deserves a larger platform.”
the WORD
“This sublimely made action-drama-thriller-of-a-memoir can shake, rattle and roll audiences viscerally, causing many to realize things can be better in America.”
Bains Film Reviews
“Dynamic… The literal and metaphorical beauty that transcends the entirety of the film is impeccable!”
Click to screen A Cow in the Sky official trailer.
“One of the most important films of Tribeca. This is special and deserves a larger platform.”
Our short “A Cow in the Sky” had its World Premiere at Tribeca 2023 chosen by Whoopi Goldberg as one of seven animated films to be presented at the festival. Since then, the film continues to screen domestically and internationally at festivals including Woodstock, RiverRun, Flickers Rhode Island, Gasparilla, and more, being nominated and winning awards along the way.
For our short we chose to blend original 2D animation, showing our protagonist’s flight and his memories, with actual historical video footage and sound from the time of the murder, including that of Tom Metzger and his infamous post trial press conference. This footage is used to both highlight the demons our protagonist is wrestling with and to serve as points of origin for both the events that shaped our story and aspects of America as we are living it today.
The process of making the short film was humbling and inspiring, even more so as we assembled a diverse and talented group of animators and artists, including Grammy nominated hip hop artist Aminé who is from Portland and of Ethiopian descent, to help us realize our vision.
Filmmaker Bios
C. Fraser Press
C. Fraser Press is an Emmy nominated and multi award-winning writer, actress and director from New York City. She was selected by Glamour Magazine as a “top female director to watch” after the release of her comedy short film A Driving Lesson which screened in over 30 film festivals worldwide. C. Fraser has directed and performed improv comedy throughout NYC and, as a solo performer, she has performed at various venues including NYC’s famed Town Hall. Amongst her many theater credits are her critically acclaimed one-woman shows Treading Alphabet Soup (NYC & SF, Dir. Darren Press), and Why We Don’t Bomb the Amish (NYC, Dir. Darren Press). Her earliest influence in the world of drama occurred at the age of 6 when she was cast in Fragments of a Greek Trilogy at the famed LaMama Theater Club. Performing in NYC and Jerusalem, it was this experience that instilled in her the desire to tell deeply universal and complex stories about humanity that connect across cultures. Recently, her feature script, 4th Wall Down was a finalist for NY Stage and Film’s Powerhouse Series.
Darren Press
Darren Press started producing, directing and writing improv and sketch in New York City when he ran Gotham City Improv, the east coast affiliate of LA’s The Groundlings. He’s produced numerous Drama Desk award-winning Off-Broadway plays including the critically acclaimed Cobb and the musical Woody Guthrie’s American Song. As a young law school student in San Diego, Darren worked with attorney James McElroy on the collections case for the Southern Poverty Law Center against Tom Metzger and the White Aryan Resistance on behalf of the estate of Mulugeta Seraw. The experience was life changing for Darren and Mac and Mulugeta’s surviving family including his young son, whose stories are told in A Cow in the Sky.
Together
C. Fraser and Darren co-directed the award winning indie feature film Theresa is a Mother (written by C. Fraser Press) which enjoyed a highly acclaimed film festival run winning multiple Best Feature Film, Best Director and Best Screenplay Awards. Theresa Is a Mother premiered on Netflix in 2016. On screen for her role as “Theresa,” C. Fraser won multiple festival best actress awards. In addition, the pair collaborated on the award winning short Too Many Buddhas (Just for Laughs, Cinequest, Mill Valley) starring Maria Bamford and Maeve Press and directed by C. Fraser Press. Most recently they co-wrote, directed and produced the award winning animated short A Cow in the Sky (Tribeca, Woodstock, RiverRun) featuring voice over by Grammy nominated hip hop artist Aminé. In addition to their film work, C. Fraser and Darren together have developed curriculum aimed at empowering and teaching young economically disadvantaged females to engage, embrace and realize entrepreneurial ideas. Their curriculum has been utilized by the organization Girls, Inc.
Historical Background
Mulugeta Seraw
Born on October 21, 1960 in Debre Tabor, Ethiopia and murdered on November 13, 1988, in Portland, OR. Mulugeta’s death sparked a national movement to track and identify white supremacy and the white supremacy movement in America by the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and other organizations.
Jim “Mac” McElroy & Henock (Caleb in our script)
When personal injury attorney Jim "Mac" McElroy got involved in the Metzger case, his life would never be the same. As the lawyer put in charge of collections against Metzger, Mac found a way to control Metzger's property and post office box, leading to the financial demise of the White Aryan Resistance.
After Tom Metzger lost his final appeal, Mac went to Ethiopia to bring Mulugeta Seraw's family a portion of the collected money and bonded with Henock (Caleb in our script) and his mother Liya, leading Mac to eventually becoming Henock’s adoptive father.
Tom Metzger
Tom Metzger is arguably the most notorious and influential White Supremacist in modern American history. His rhetoric, tactics, and ability to influence and energize a young covert skinhead movement in the 1980s and 90s that continues to mature today, has changed the face of our culture, legal system and understanding and tracking of racism. If not for the work of people like Jim “Mac” McElroy, his platform may have been even more profound.
Some Quick Facts:
Former California Grand Dragon of the Knights of the Ku Klux Klan;
Won the 1980 Democratic Party nomination for the U.S. House of Representatives in San Diego, CA and lost the election after the Democratic Party chose to support the Republican Candidate;
Founder of the racist organization White Aryan Resistance (WAR) which had chapters across the U.S.;
In 1990, an Oregon jury found Metzger liable for the wrongful death of Mulugeta Seraw returning the largest civil verdict in Oregon history at the time—$12.5 million—against Metzger and WAR;
Made TV appearances on ABC, MTV, MSNBC, The Whoopi Goldberg Show, Oprah and more. He has an IMDB page;
Continued to spread his message across the internet, reaching millions of people prompting him to run for political office again in 2010.
“We have to infiltrate! Infiltrate the military! Infiltrate your local governments! Infiltrate your school board! Infiltrate law enforcement!”