Instantly striking with low level shock, this film opens with a scene which immediately asks important questions. You wonder who the girl is and what it is that is happening, not to mention, calling in your own sense of personal mortality and humanity, were you to be faced with a stranger in potential peril. As the film progresses, we start to see what could be considered a personal devolution of the protagonist, stripping back the layers of human behaviour, curiosity and social connection. The film is laced with an infectious feeling of loneliness and the desire for human interaction which compels questionable behaviours from all featured characters.
It is impossible not to be moved through a rollercoaster of feelings throughout this short film – confusion, curiosity, almost a sense of personal embarrassment on behalf of our protagonist, a sense of shame, even, as you watch a young woman desperately scramble for the attention of strangers, and what could undoubtedly only lead to more and more extremes.
Very little dialogue is needed for this film to have a huge impact. A startlingly bright light is shone on the realities of modern society; highlighting how we are always surrounded by others and yet so startlingly alone, how connected we are through technology but how disconnected we are with emotions or even how to deal with emotional situations.
A beautiful demonstration of the variety of human interactions, showing those who would appear to “have it all together” falling apart in the face of something unscheduled and those so blinkered that they don’t notice what’s happening around them. A powerful, visually beautiful and well shot piece of cinema, I expect to see great things from the director, Nora Longatti!
