BEST Scene Script Reading: BLUE IDAHO, by Noah Zayn Mortier
New Releases
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9m 45s
Blue (formerly Logan) is a gifted transgender surgical nurse whose life spirals after a violent romance exposes her truth. Surviving a suicide attempt, she's sent to an off-grid trauma retreat, where healing begins amid a web of broken souls, betrayal, and revelation. Returning home to confront family and memory, Logan reclaims his identity—detransitioning not in retreat, but in power. Blue Idaho is a raw, redemptive journey of self-forgiveness, queer identity, and the quiet strength it takes to choose yourself.
CAST LIST:
Narrator: Hannah Ehman
Connor: Shawn Devlin
Blue: Elizabeth Rose Morriss
Get to know the writer:
1. What is your screenplay about?
This screenplay is a bold, soul-stirring exploration of identity, redemption, and the courage to love one's true self. At its heart is Blue (also known as Logan) — a precise, compassionate, and quietly suffering OR nurse who identifies as a trans woman. Behind her composed exterior lies a turbulent past: a childhood marred by neglect, abuse, and rejection. She inflicts harm on herself not for attention, but as a tragic ritual — a conversation with the inner child who was never allowed to speak.
Based on real memories, true events, and lived characters, this story is an emotional autopsy of shame, survival, and transformation. When Blue opens her heart to Connor, a young doctor who genuinely sees her, it shatters the rule she swore to live by: never mix vulnerability with proximity. When Connor uncovers her truth, the rejection that follows is brutal — familiar — and almost final.
Blue's near-death suicide attempt leads her to an unconventional retreat, where healing unfolds in messy, unexpected ways. There, she finds not only herself, but also her voice — as Logan.
This story is not about being trans. It's about being human in the aftermath of trauma. It's about reclaiming dignity when the world has tried to erase it. It's about survival — and the raw, beautiful work of learning to live again.
2. What genres does your screenplay fall under?
Drama and Coming-of-Age, with powerful psychological and emotional undercurrents that resonate universally.
3. Why should this screenplay be made into a movie?
Because it tells a story that has rarely — if ever — been told with such honesty, depth, and compassion.
Blue/Logan is a protagonist we haven't seen before: a trans woman, a detransitioner, a medical caregiver, a wounded survivor, a human being whose experiences speak across lines of gender, politics, or identity. This is not a culture-war film. It's a human story, and that is its power.
The screenplay holds a mirror up to all of us who have felt unworthy of love, who carry an injured inner child, who have learned to survive by shrinking. It dares to say: you are still here — and that matters. It is intimate yet universal, deeply personal yet painfully relatable.
This is not just an LGBTQIA+ story. It's a redemptive character journey that speaks the emotional language of anyone who's felt voiceless, invisible, or broken — and longs to heal.
3. How would you describe this script in two words?
Page turner
4. What movie have you seen the most times in your life?
The Green Mile'. It's a masterclass in emotional storytelling — raw, graceful, and human. The film's brilliance lies not only in its cinematic craft, but in how it threads the supernatural through the deeply personal. It captures injustice, grief, mercy, and transcendence with equal weight. The Green Mile doesn't shout — it haunts. And much like this screenplay, it asks you to look beyond labels and see the soul within the struggle.
5. How long have you been working on this screenplay?
For over a year — though emotionally, it's been building for a lifetime.
The process began when I advanced my training as an actor, working under the guidance of Adam Davenport, a gifted Chubbuck Technique coach who challenged me to dig into my own trauma and reshape it into something transformative. His mentorship encouraged me not just to tell a story, but to bleed truth onto the page — and let pain become purpose.
6. How many stories have you written?
Storytelling has been part of me since childhood. I've written short stories for as long as I can remember — it's always been a quiet, constant rhythm in my life, even when I wasn't consciously pursuing it.
After years of focusing on other aspects of my life, I've recently reconnected with that creative fire. Now, I'm working on multiple scripts and developing projects that are deeply personal, unflinchingly human, and unapologetically real.
My passion lies in giving voice to raw, authentic characters who don't often get a spotlight — not just on paper, but eventually on screen as an actor.
Last year, my short film Just Sophie was honored with the Best European Film award at the European Cinematography Awards in Amsterdam. That moment solidified a promise I made to myself: to keep writing the truth, no matter how vulnerable it feels.
7. What motivated you to write this screenplay?
At its core, this screenplay was born from my own need to heal — to take the weight of unspoken pain and turn it into something purposeful. Writing this story allowed me to reframe trauma, to find strength in scars.
But more than that, I wrote it for connection. If just one person sees this film, or reads this script, and feels less alone, more understood, or even just takes a small step toward healing — that's the dream fulfilled.
This isn't just a story. It's a lifeline.
8. What obstacles did you face while finishing the screenplay?
There were two major challenges:
1. Fear of being misunderstood.
This is a deeply personal and emotionally charged narrative with a protagonist who, in today's world, can easily be politicized. That was never the intention. I don't want to write for the left or the right — I want to write truth. The challenge was in staying true to the emotional core of the story without softening or shaping it to fit expectations.
2. Digging deep.
Many of the experiences my protagonist goes through mirror my own. Writing those scenes felt like tearing open old wounds — liberating, yes, but also devastating. It required honesty, bravery, and sometimes, pausing to process.
But every tear shed, every uncomfortable truth revealed, made the story richer — and, I hope, more impactful for anyone who reads or watches it.
9. Apart from writing, what else are you passionate about?
Acting. It's my first love, my mirror, and my teacher. Acting pushes me beyond what I know, forces me to confront my own limitations, and allows me to channel personal pain into empathy and connection.
Outside the arts, I'm a registered nurse, which has shaped my understanding of life in the most profound ways. I've been there for both the first cry of life and the final breath. I've helped deliver a child in an elevator and washed the body of someone who passed in silence.
These moments humble you. They strip away ego and remind you of what's real. That rawness — that delicate balance between joy and loss — is something I carry into every character I portray, and every story I write.
10. What influenced you to enter the festival? And how did you feel about the feedback?
This festival stood out — its reputation for championing unique, character-driven stories resonated with me. I wanted to place my screenplay in a space that valued emotional truth and complexity.
The feedback I received was thoughtful and insightful. It helped me realize that some narrative elements that felt intuitive in my head could use more clarity on the page. I'm deeply grateful for that kind of response — it makes me a better writer and a sharper storyteller.
At the same time, the praise for the structure, dialogue, and character development was incredibly encouraging. It felt like the heart of the story was reaching people, and that's what matters most.
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