WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
When encountering the often overpowering influence of inner turmoil, what choices do we make to quench it? Taking a path of least resistance via simply giving in, allowing it to take such a hold that it begins to fracture everything and everyone we cherish? Or, can we manage to discover a journey of self-assessment, reflection, and fortitude to overcome it, therefore rekindling the connections that will truly lead us home? For a successful businessman named Nathan (Carl Ingemarsson Stjernlof ), escape from these exact circumstances drives him into the chosen confines of a family getaway home, isolated from that which has become the cause of his struggle, but separated from his most dearest treasures. Missed by his worried daughter Francis (Elora Schaff) and wife Angie (Malin Barr), Nathan must find a direction to inward peace–or be threatened with losing all he’s ever really wanted.
Next, my Mind:
The profound weight of decision, the persuasive and compelling force of anger, doubt, anxiety, need for understanding, desire for change, conquering guilt, and resolving who we are while seeking to perceive it in a constructive, healing way is all explored beautifully and delivered with straightforward execution through this fifteen and a half minute indie short film effort from writer/director Martin Sandin and producer Lotta Grahn. Carrying its message with a full out, powerful, yet equally subdued intensity that only serves to magnify the necessity of its purpose and the relatability/accessibility it garners for us as the viewer, the film paints the kind of grounded reality that a narrative such as this requires in order to not only BE believable, but also have maximum impact on our very being, ideally to ignite within ourselves, perhaps, our own sense of realizing how important it is to pause in a tumultuous world and take stock of what’s genuinely valuable vs. what’s not.
In presenting its tale of one man’s wake-up call to the actuality of his own life’s situation and what is being endangered by the initial directions he’s gone, priorities he’s so overtly ended up misplacing, and the subsequent ramifications that have since ensued, it’s very much a sobering and needed illustration of occurrences that happen all to often in our society and should be addressed. The loss of any sense of self identity when attempting to locate it via wrong avenues is never an easy thing to face down, accept, or admit, yet seeing this unfold through the context this film portrays really hits home, I feel, especially for men and the perceptions about who we are “supposed to be” when it comes to being the provider for those we love while also attaining the success that brings supposed “fulfillment”, yet ends up more often than not alienating us from precisely what and who we’re to be supporting, possibly even costing us everything that’s real for the sake of said “achievements”, leaving us hollow and adrift.
Along this line of reasoning, recognizing the higher significance of familial bonds is a specific, foundational element conveyed here, and I found myself greatly desiring for this to resonate with audiences, as we’ve seen just how much family units have been sacrificed on the alter of career “success” and the associated affluence it affords, only to then cause massive rifts in marriages and relationships with children, etc, which is a sad testament compared to what true prosperousness is. The film showcases its lead character’s battle through this with deeply affecting urgency and emotional poignancy, reflecting the various stages of regret, frustration, questioning, and ultimate awakening to the necessary facets of his existence that must now have more expansive substantiality and sway, in order to find the essential redemption of character he desperately longs for by the film’s magnificently touching finale. The myriad of ways, both obvious and symbolic, that the film navigates this is deftly written, yet uncomplicated, so as to emphasize the primary factors dictating Nathan’s plight to utmost effect.
As I consistently mention when it comes to indie cinema, the beauty here also lies in the wonderfully forthright visual presentation it provides, allowing us to maintain absolute focus on what we should be honed in on–the character-driven story and its intent–while still taking in the fluidity of pacing and imagery accompanying it with no difficulty whatsoever. Add in the additionally atmospheric and wholly befitting music score that evokes the appropriate tone/mood throughout, and it becomes the dramatically stirring excursion aimed for. Stjernlof transports us with utter conviction, convincing emotive strength, and fully realistic volatility into the world of initially anguished self introspection through his role as Nathan, a man of means and levels of accomplishment who is forced to confront the ripple effect his choices have created even as he detaches from his family and life to sequester himself and turn within.
Dealing with self criticism as well as pressures placed on him by others, the restlessness builds and builds, Nathan tries to find that release and comprehension of who he is, all the while being constantly reminded of what he’s left behind. As everything boils to the surface and comes to a head, he must resist the possibility of losing all of who he really is and desires to be for the sake of supposed “contentment” and redefine life, a voyage that is both harrowing and cathartic. With every step we see portrayed, Stjernlof pulls us in with a burning ferocity and total sincerity that engages from start to finish. Supporting roles arrive from Scaff as Nathan’s daughter Francis, whose heartwarming, inspirational appearances in the story so fantastically accent Nathan’s dilemma and make a plausibly eloquent argument for why he needs to find the peace and reconcilement of soul he looks for, while Barr “appears” in voice form only as Nathan’s wife Angie, whose impassioned concern we hear in multiple instances quietly reverberates with the heart she has for the man she loves.
In total, “Distressed” communicates the overwhelming need for us to having a willingness to see our faults, ascertain what aspects of our lives are obstacles rather than opportunity, weed them out, and watch what refreshing perspectives on life and what’s of authentic worth are birthed from it. Likewise, perhaps one of the biggest lessons to be taken from this effort, with mental health awareness being a key as well, is that no one can do this FOR us. Rather, we HAVE to find the way to initiate the transformation ourselves in order to see those aforementioned viewpoints come to fruition in a way that will lead us to those we love and, ideally, to a far more opulent outlook and appreciation for all we have, not via the wallet, career, or possessions, but from the core of our humanity–the heart.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
