A thought-provoking debut that lingers long after the credits roll.
I have watched this short film a few times over the past six months because it struck a different chord within me each time. It's incredibly thought-provoking.
The story is layered and complex-open to interpretation depending on your own experiences and state of mind. Every time I watched it, something different drew my attention: I saw a new angle and felt something I hadn't before. One time I watched it during a thunderstorm, and even that changed what I took from it.
The story-like life-is like a thunderstorm. Sad, and at times even horrifying, yet still somehow beautiful. Beneath all the chaos and emotion, there is love, hope, and the possibility of new beginnings. A reminder that once the rage and panic have passed, we get to write a new story for ourselves. Some of the visuals and sounds are stunning, others harsh-just like a storm. Just like life.
One of the times I watched it, I absolutely hated the credits-the sound of those crystals clinking and crackling over themselves grated on me so much I cringed. But now I think the short had triggered my sympathetic nervous system that day. I reacted so strongly because it got under my skin. And doesn't that say something about how poignant it is?
I love how the layers in the film mirror the difficulty of navigating your own story-especially when you can't yet see past a particular obstacle. And I love how it shows that beautiful souls can still exist in this world, even when those closest to them are internally ugly, or when they themselves have lived through ugly periods.
I think anyone going through a life crisis-or even just questioning the direction of their life-will take something meaningful from this. It leaves space for interpretation, and I believe different people will connect with different characters-or even fragments of them-and reshape the story to reflect their own experiences of struggle and hope.
Like I said, the message is profound. I don't fully grasp everything, but I saw something new each time I watched it. And maybe one day, I'll reach a higher level of awareness and finally understand all that it's trying to say.
What a remarkable achievement-to capture something so emotionally complex, so multi-layered and personal, in just 22 minutes.
Well done to Callum Blue on his directorial debut, and for bringing his first story to life.
