What happens when a child has nowhere to go? Who is responsible for them when they must leave the care system? Stronghold is a heart-wrenching, quietly tense short film. It follows Fran (Ora Jones), a former matriarch of a boy’s house, as she tries to return a young boy, Leo (London Wygant), to his biological mother, Shelly (Angela Morris).
Stronghold, the boy’s home, has been closed due to lack of funding, leaving Fran unemployed and the boys without a stable place. Most of them have been successfully placed elsewhere and Leo is the last on her list. Thankfully, his mother Shelly has regained custody. Fran drives Leo home only to find Shelly hasn’t shown up.
Leo is only young. He is passionate about fishing, perhaps dreaming of becoming a fisherman one day, and he lights up when playing on a Nintendo Switch. He is just a normal kid. How can Fran (or anyone) tell a young boy that his Mum doesn’t want him anymore? In a world where reproductive rights are divisive, dominating political, media, and religious narratives, one thing that is often overlooked are boys like Leo. His story isn’t unique or rare.
In 2022/23 there were approximately 107,000 children in care in the UK, and there is approximately 400,000 children in care in the US today. Stronghold deals with these issues with sensitivity and urgency. Who gets saved – Leo or an unborn child?
It is a story unveiled with care by Meghann Artes. She shows the immense pressure Fran is under, both internally and circumstantially. She feels responsible for Leo, she must find Shelly and convince her to show up for her son. Even if it means delaying her arrival at her daughter’s house whom she hopes to repair her relationship with. Without someone like Fran, who’s left to fight for kids like Leo?
Although we do not know the circumstances that led Leo to being in care, Stronghold does depict the urgency of his situation. Whilst Fran does her best to remain calm, and stay composed despite the pressure. She continues to give Leo a safe space, making jokes, and creating a caring environment. But she is running out of time and options. Jones gives an emotional and stirring performance. Expertly switching between that calm and nurturing facade with Leo and utter despair and exasperation when confronting Shelly.
Through her performance, you can see the multiple directions she is being pulled in with no specific one winning out right. She wants to help Leo, needs to help him. Leo is quiet and Wygant gives a subtle and impactful performance.
One stand out moment is when he says he doesn’t mind that the Nintendo Switch is second-hand as his Mum always told him “Used things are always better”. This cuts deep due to us not knowing if the ‘thing’ he’s referencing is the game console he’s holding, or himself. Perhaps even Leo doesn’t know in that moment, but it is quietly devastating either way.
Stronghold is a snapshot of a much larger and often invisible reality of many children across the world. It will leave you emotional and angry. Artes handles the subject matter respectfully, with an emphasis on care and realism without ever falling into stereotypes or sentimentality. Leo may be fictional, but there are children just like him who are not. There are hundreds of thousands of children out there: lost, lonely, and overlooked. It is now, more than ever, that we need people like Fran to fight for them.
Stronghold is part of the Showcase Selection (shorts) at the 10th Femme Filmmakers Festival, and will be available to watch as part of the festival this September.