Greetings again from the darkness. With a string of short films to his credit, Norwegian writer-director Eirik Tveiten had to wait patiently during the pandemic for the release of his latest. That patience was rewarded with an Oscar nomination for Best Live Action Short Film.
Ebba (Sigrid Kandal Husjord) is waiting for the tram on a frigid, snowy evening. When the tram arrives at her stop, the driver hops off for his break, but tells Ebba that she is not allowed to wait for him on the tram. Rather than risk frostbite, Ebba sneaks onto the tram. The trouble begins when she starts pushing buttons in an attempt to get the door closed. As you probably guess, she inadvertently starts the engine, and soon, Ebba is driving the tram and making its scheduled stops.
This opening is actually a clever misdirection. It serves up the vibe of a pending comedy-of-errors, however, the tone shifts pretty quickly ... as must happen on a short film. In fact, things turn pretty dark and Ebba is faced with a tough decision in regards to one of the passengers. Although the film is only a few minutes long, we sense Ebba's frustration and her personal history plays a distinct role in her reaction to how things play out. A terrific performance from Sigrid Kandal Husjord highlights this thought-provoking short film from director Eirik Tveiten. The Oscar nom is well-earned.
