WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
WATCH THE FILM HERE with all proceeds going to the filmmakers!
First, the Recap:
What’s mine is mine, what’s yours is yours, yet what’s yours is actually—mine, too? In the ongoing race for possession of that which we strive for, desire to attain, and will do almost anything to get, does this not ultimately lead to more conflict than gratifying resolution? Or, would it be an even bigger level of tortured, inconsolable upheaval if that which we most want will forever be out of our reach, whether by circumstance, or due to actions of those whose own jealousies and selfish ambition hold us down, overpower us, weaken us? For one forest Nymph (Jessica Fertonari Cooke), she has come upon that which she most wishes for–a local logger (Felipe Dall’anese) who remains an elusive quarry, as outside forces and other factors interfere with her attempts to be with him.
Next, my Mind:
There’s a decidedly adult-themed manner, tone, and visual execution to this 6-minute short from writer/director/producer Joanna Mamede which screened at the 2020 Berlin Revolution Film Festival, yet it isn’t so gratuitously or without specific intent. Carried within its “for mature audiences only” demeanor sprouts a narrative that rather eccentrically and with deeply experimental mindset addresses the concept of the “we’re from different worlds” struggle through a fantasy/mythological eye, doing so with an equally emotionally volatile atmosphere that engages everything from lust to yearning to anger to overt agonizing dismay on the part of its central character.
It’s an exposé on just how our own longings can not only have the direct impact upon us that they do, influencing our actions or attitudes, but also that it can make us a target of others and their own ideas about what is and is not “good for us” or perhaps “allowable”, pinning us back even as THEY might actually take advantage of that which we aimed for in the first place. Also, there are even more baseline abstractions that can be construed here based on the differences in gender, societal class, maybe even human vs. inhuman, the structure of those who oppress vs. those who ARE oppressed, etc. Again this is quite obscurely explored throughout and yet engaging nonetheless. If you’re sensitive to–arousing–imagery, just be aware the film does contain some visually intense sequences and nudity in the context of the narrative.
The other primary facet here that makes this film stand out in sheer uniqueness is its quite “out there” utilization of elements intermixed into the visual aspects of the film that are almost, with only a few exceptions, one hundred percent non-sequiturs, having no true tie to anything we’re witnessing in the story, yet are interjected as disruptors on purpose. It actually does jar you quite emphatically when being more caught up in wanting to see what happens, if anything, between this fantastical, beautiful creature and a simple man, all while chaos is erupting around our sightline. It is unquestionably a wild approach to “distract” the viewer and discombobulate the timeframe of everything being witnessed. Yet, for some unexplainable reason, it WORKS! Ah, indie film. Got to love it, you know?
Cooke does an amazing job embodying the soul of the ancient folkloric being she portrays, the Nymph, a woodland creature whose found something she wants, greatly longs for it, yet cannot accept that fact that it may be something completely unattainable, or so she believes. Even as her demonstrative movements and actions more than adequately signify her intent, she is likewise beleaguered by others of her kind who seem to tease her with the idea of her objective, yet hold her back in a cruel twist of fate. It’s such an exercise in erratic, erotic, and turbulent behavior that I give full measure of credit to Cooke for pulling it all off with such intense, fiery passion and palpable emotional fervor. It’s a standout performance on many levels, at least for this critic.
Dall’anese does a solid as the object of more desire than he can even realize, the forest logger who’s only out trying to do his job, yet has an inkling someone, or something, is out there in the woods with him, but it remains outside his comprehension or vision, though this may not be the case the whole time. The other supporting appearances come from Mariana Rezende, Marge Kazumi, and Mamede herself as other Nymphs who may or may not have their compatriot’s best interests in mind, or at least not until she can serve their purposes while keeping her the sacrificial lamb to their wanton needs.
So, in total, while steeped in a story of desperate need, forbidden temptations, and a foundational look at two worlds totally apart trying to discover a way to be together amidst the societal implications presented, “Maybe Nymph” is definitive indie cinema, full of its intricacies and eccentricities, quirks and morals, and just good old fashioned oddity. Again, it challenges so many of the rules that conventional cinema tries to cling to, and hence this is why it stands out as something fresh, promising, and an indicator of the ongoing wealth of filmmaking talent waiting to be discovered, if indeed that’s what they wish and long for.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
