Saudade

After watching Saudade, the latest release from writer, director, and actor Kemal Yildirim, it's easy to find words of praise.

Named after a feeling of longing, melancholy, or nostalgia, Saudade is one of the first films I've seen in a long time without clicking Pause.

So what's this film about?

On the surface we have a troubled couple making out, slapping each other around kind of film. Essentially flashbacks of a stormy romance with fairly straightforward images of coffee grinding and cleansing (reminiscent of Lady Macbeth?). But the camerawork, pacing and strong performances suggest more.

If we were to compare this short film to music, someone like Erik Satie might come to mind. The tight edits are reminiscent of the parsimony in Satie's work. And the overall feel is atmospheric and somewhat ambiguous, again like Satie.

A phone call in the closing scene could answer a few questions. Make Saudade clear. But I was still trying to put things together after the credits.

Some might find this deliberate mystification lacking and others, satisfying. There is no definite epiphany; instead, we're just left with lingering uncertainty.

I've been reviewing Yildirim's films for almost a decade, and Saudade is a definite step forward or perhaps a shift in direction. The film deals with memories, emotion and is infinitely subtler than the director's earlier projects.

Saudade is an open-ended drama that will probably speak to more moviegoers than we realize.

In Saudade, a 21 minute film by Kemal Yildirim, we experience a glimpse into the world of Alice & Tris, who are most definitely in a powerfully passionate, but some might think toxic relationship with each other. Through flashbacks we see what can only be described as aggressively passionate love scenes featuring the two main characters and then flash forward to a solo Alice (brilliantly played by Holly Rose Durham) as she thinks back to the times with Tris (played, although brilliantly by writer/director/actor Kemal Yildirim).

As all of Kema'ls films have been, the visuals are glorious and the cinematoprgraphy is stunning, and it tip toes the fine line of 'art film' perfectly without falling over the edge. For the first few minutes of this 21 minute film, there is no dialogue, but we don't need it. From the body language, and sound effects we can see that Alice is being emotionally torn apart, either through grief, guilt or anger. As to how the story plays out in this short film, well you'll just have to check out Saudade when you can, but I for one, cant shake the characters out of my head and once again Kemal proves that he can hold a great performance on screen with a look, a glance, and the talent of his body language without the need for pages of dialogue for the characters he portrays.. Great work by all

Not exactly a happy/feel good 20 minute ride, promising director Kemal Yildirim's latest effort behind the camera is an impressively shot and constructed short film that showcases a knack for the filmmaker as an all-rounder behind and in front of the camera.

Telling the story of Holly-Rose Durham's Alice, a woman whose life and mental state is fracturing around her after a topsy-survey relationship with Yildirim's Tris, Saudade is a brief glimpse into the crumbling psyche of a broken mind, one trying to fight their way through despite the worst enemy being themselves.

Saudade, which refers to a feeling of longing, melancholy or nostalgia, is certainly not an easy watch thanks to its subject matter but Yildirim's handling of the film is impressive, with a number of well-shot scenes combining with strong edits helping create a well-crafted and assured short film that features a great central turn from Holly-Rose Durham.

A relative newcomer, Durham is in almost every scene of Saudade and despite the fact she doesn't have to say a lot, her ability to craft emotion and deliver a raw and uncompromising performance in a relatively short period of time would suggest that the budding actress could have a very promising career in front of the camera should she choose to pursue the acting pathway.

Final Say -

With fine work from its director and Durham's committed central turn, Saudade is a solid short film with a particularly memorable finale and while it won't be everyone's cup of tea, Saudade is a worthy watch for short film fans around the world.

3 garden statues out of 5