Watching Willistown Township’s M. Night Shyamalan direct inspired Melissa Davey to finally pursue filmmaking after decades of dreaming about it, writes Julie Halpert for The Wall Street Journal. 

Davey became curious about becoming a film director when she was nine. She started reading books on how films are made and going to movies as much as possible. But a career in filmmaking never seemed attainable to her, until she decided to retire. 

The Valley Forge resident, who is 74, spent most of her career running a large corporation’s Social Security Disability Management program. One day in 2014, she noticed a contest to bid for a chance to spend a day on Shyamalan’s nearby set. She bid $5,000 and won. 

That day completely changed the trajectory of her life. 

When the famous director asked her what she really wanted to do in her life, she responded, “I want your job.” 

“When I came home from the day on the set, I knew I wanted to make a film,” she said. 

The next day, she quit her job and started planning her film career. 

Her first movie, Beyond Sixty, was distributed three years ago and has received several awards. 

Read more about Melissa Davey becoming a filmmaker in The Wall Street Journal. 

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