Seven

The scenery and cinematography were so compelling that I almost forgot to follow the story, but it was so riveting that I couldn't help but be absorbed by it. The tension was well balanced. Even though I was pretty sure I knew what the outcome would be, it still brought tears to my eyes.

Watched this at a festival over the weekend and it stuck with me.

It was a breath of fresh air to see, especially in today's climate, a short about a remote community in the Arctic and how they deal with the threat of an intruder with a harmful political agenda. It was gripping and beautifully shot so definitely recommend a watch if it's showing near you!

Even though this short left me asking for more, I enjoyed what it had to offer. My favorite aspect is how it explores two points of view. The first point of view is on the villagers who want to kill the oil worker. This is to set an example for the oil industry about interfering with their land. The second viewpoint comes from the perspective of Yohana, who's somewhat reluctant to follow through with the plan. Though you understand why the villagers are upset, it's also apparent that the oil worker they captured isn't solely responsible for the impact the oil industry has on their village, nor will killing the man put a stop to the oil industry. The short also comes with some lovely cinematography, with the standout being the bird's eye shot of the funeral pyre. Lastly, the ending makes for a nice slice of suspense. As stated above though, I was ultimately left asking for more. For instance, I would've liked to know more about why the villagers and the oil workers were hostile towards each other. If the reason is because of pollutants released from the oil rigs, I would've liked to see how this was affecting the villagers as the pristine landscape shots we saw in the film didn't convey any such thing. It also would've been nice to see conversations with some other villagers and the oil worker himself to provide more viewpoints to Yohana's moral dilemma. As it stood, it's a fine short, but I imagine I'll forget about it pretty soon.

Really enjoyed this...worth seeing!

Beautifully filmed!

Even though this short film is set in the remote climes of the Arctic circle, during an Arctic summer of endless light and huge wide open skies, there is something close, dark and brooding about its subject matter.

A small community are confronted with a dilemma when a stranger is accused of murder. The stranger is a Russian oil worker, come to exploit the new 'Cold War' - the race for oil in previously protected regions of the Arctic. The invasion that threatens the indigenous community's lifestyle long term now confronts them with an immediate and more emotionally direct challenge.

How do they deal with the newcomer? Does their traditional means of justice apply here? Seven seconds to decide. What would you do?