coming off of the success of his last movie, joe's package, a comedy in the tradition of "the cat came back", director martin dudzik was looking for a drama to direct. through an aide, he had received the plot synopsis of serebriakov's "calendar leaves". serebriakov had written it in the previous year, in response to a cruel practical joke he had witnessed. a month later, on the patio of a starbucks on vancouver's east side, the contract that brought calendar leaves to life was signed.