Rustling

Greetings again from the darkness. A father and son are slaughtering a sheep on the side of a grass knoll. They are interrupted by a young girl who points out the baby lamb watching from a few steps away. Later that evening, as the girl pokes at the fresh mutton on her dinner plate, the dad commands her to "Eat it!"

In this 9-minute short film from writer-director Tom Furniss, the kids are awoken each morning with their dad ordering, "Up. Now", along with two sharp bangs on the bedroom door. As so often happens, the harsh persona of a parent is distinctly contrasted by that of warm-hearted kids who want to do the right thing, and who remain unblemished by life's realities.

Filmed in New Zealand, the takeaway is one of pleasantness. The performers are: Seth Flynn as the dad, his real-life daughter Eden Flynn, and Billy Cox as the teenage boy.