Greetings again from the darkness. This easily could have been extended to 80 or 90 minutes of Father-Daughter road trip, but director Sandrine Brodeur-Desrosiers and writer Luis Molinie deliver the same story and evoke the same emotional response within a brisk 21 minute run time.
Newcomer Dalia Binzare stars as 8 year old Eva. She's super excited to be headed to the beach with her father (Florin Peltea), even though her mom is staying home. Eva's a bit surprised that they are making the trip in her father's big rig - a rumbling 18-wheeler, but her anticipation of frolicking on the beach allows her to roll with it.
Their trip runs from Montreal to Mexico, and only a quick glimpse of the border wall clues us (not Eva) in to the real purpose of the trip. Well that, and a general awareness that few men would leave their wife home and drag their daughter across two countries just so the kid could build a sandcastle or look for turtles.
Other than a radio sing-along, and a few familiar glances, there is very little actual communication between the two. Young Ms. Binzare really shines in the moment when she has to react to the situation, and the realization that her own father has broken a promise and used her for another purpose. The style of filming allows for the viewpoint of the child, the concern of the father, and the vastness of the trip. It's very well done.
