A Purgatory Story

Hands down the best short I've ever seen. Leaves Pixar in the dust. An unhappy young woman communicates with a guy stuck in - where else? - purgatory through a Ouija board. Romantic, but also lots of hilarious bits. (Did you know there's a branch of a certain well-known coffee chain there?)

I really loved it, very touching and beautifully shot. Performance of the actors is so honest that they make us totally believe in the story.

Great pace, humour and pathos. -1 point for makeup and props.

This is an excellent short film. The plot is highly original although a little surreal, which means you are not quite sure which way it is going. One of unusual things about this film is that there are no words spoken at all, instead relying on just subtitles and moods set by an original music score by Charles Harvey Spears.

So, have you ever wondered what Purgatory is like? Gerard (Joey Long) has been there since 1903 and has a tedious commute to a dull callcentre job, in this case answering ouija board questions. He is not allowed to quit and promotion is very very slow. His day starts with the alarm clock going off (love the time on the clock!), same clothes, dreadful breakfast, stuck in traffic then spends most of his day waiting for something to happen. Basically, not much has changed since he was on Earth.

The turning point occurs when he establishes a relationship by ouija board with a lady called Claire (Joana Metrass). We don't know much about her, but presumably she is seeking communication with the other side because she has lost someone dear to her. This dialogue becomes key to them both moving forwards.

The only problem with this film might be if you have eyesight problems as reading the subtitles is key.

There are many good short films by Omeleto, and in my opinion this is one of the best. My other favourite is "Future Boyfriend".

Romance ? Off course ! Ironic perspective about life and death ? No doubt ! But, more important, a wise short film about hope, need of other, bridges across worlds, ukulele and ouija . A film so beautiful , touching in so profound sense, reminding us to us , for the wise use of small things defining our life of every day. So, just a gem.