Published in: CPIFF 2022

CPIFF 2022 Short Film Review “Embers”

Author OneFilmFan

Published on: October 22, 2022

NO TRAILER CURRENTLY AVAILABLE

First, the Recap:

When a fire dies, what do we always feel remains–ashes. In context of this multifaceted reality called life, it becomes an inevitable truth that we will suffer loss of that which shone so brightly for us, brought us joy, vibrancy, and taught us valuable lessons we carry forward. This especially becomes evident when it comes to those people closest to us having the kind of impact they’re meant to, specifically parents. So, what happens in the wake of losing one and the subsequent coping with it that follows? For now-adult sisters Claire (Bianca Raso) and Annie (Adara Toop), it is one such period of anguish on a camping trip that sparks a kaleidoscope of memories that will not only shape their futures separately but could also bring about highly needed confessions and reconciliations between them, showcasing that the heart’s flame isn’t gone, but rather glows fervently.

Next, my Mind:

Moodily atmospheric, tangibly emotional, accessibly relevant, and deeply human, this indie short film effort from writer/director Benjamin Ross Johnson, producer Bogdan Darev, and executive producer Steven Bosch fully explores the oft presented thematic core that is loss and does so with a potent and stirring execution that utilizes flashback and the present day to deliver its tale with an equally effective dueling perspective as seen through childhood’s innocence paired with adulthood’s coping mechanisms. For this critic, honestly, the timing for witnessing this particular story comes at an all-too-apropos time given I myself still encounter the constantly fluctuating instances of joy and abiding sorrow thanks to recent departures that still very much resonate inside me, holding sway in mind and soul while likewise experiencing the recollections applicable to the circumstances. Basically, this is why indie film reverberates with me so much–it’s REAL, grounded, and, so many a time, relatable.

Whether blatantly apparent or purposefully more veiled in focusing on the means by which two sisters finds themselves dealing and reeling with a hugely personal and shattering chasm now left in their lives, the narrative carries itself with beautifully, yet intentionally volatile, poignancy and evocative measure, willing to showcase two distinctly different examples of how we as people choose to wade our way through sadness, denial, acceptance, void in heart, and even conflicts between each other when those aforementioned reminisces invoke pain and celebration of life. It’s separation and coming together, processing of grief and releasing that which has built up within us, and coming to terms with a new reality, all placed in context of two siblings struggling to reconnect and rediscover their own bond of respect and love for each other. We are privy to one of them who finds means to express herself as a way to seek healing while the other remains unsettled and distant, a powerful dichotomy which plays out throughout the film’s 17-minute runtime. It is the ripple effect of situational reactions to those things that impact us with unrelenting force, and it’s the messages and depictions of this found here I find so needed and pertinent in this day and age.

Yet, it all leads to a fantastically hopeful finale and mind you this is all on the heels of some dynamically quiet but substantially emotive, lighthearted sequences with the characters as children that serve to enhance the film’s heavier themes while simultaneously creating those necessary moments of heartwarming levity that paint such a perfect illustration of what it is to be endeared to a parent, even when we might not always appreciate then the way we should. Ultimately, and I am a HUGE proponent of this concept, this is about recognizing and more so acknowledging that when it comes to hurt such as is portrayed, you MUST walk THROUGH it, not bury it, not avoid it, but FACE it. Additionally, the elements of forgiveness and mending rifts also make for pivotal foundational points made here.  The film’s visual presentation and primarily rain-soaked setting contribute to enhancing the mood of the characters and story, the camerawork encompassing the aura of events with smoothly displayed ease and targeted skill.

For the older versions of the film’s primary characters, we begin with Toop as Annie, a young woman whose vibrancy and joyful demeanor might belie the reasoning in her heart and mind and she and her sister Claire arrive to a camping spot that holds a wealth of evocation for them both, though Annie appears to at least have a more constructive manner in coping with the pair’s state of being. Even as she strives to reconnect with that which has been lost, it all becomes a reminder of the other ongoing relationship she’s inadvertently been neglecting, the awareness of which could bring about forgiveness and renewal. Raso enters the story as Claire, the member of the duo who perhaps isn’t handling her own hurt as well as Annie, holding regrets and frustrations because of it that threaten to maintain a growing isolation within herself and from Annie. Mostly remaining closed off and even reluctant to concede to any of Annie’s attempts to gain perspective on events, it all ends up allowing Claire to come around, let go, and find essential peace.

Both actresses convey their respective, softly intense, undeniably simmering emotional quotients deftly and with totally believable levels of nuanced vigor that allow them to deliver performances that are straightforward and engaging. For the flashback sequences of the girls in childhood, we are introduced to Makenna Nabholz as Annie and Piper Sanders as Claire who likewise dominate the screen with the energetic fervor of youth melded with the tapestry of images that manifest into an exposition of the depth of attachment that can be founded between siblings and between a parent and their children. Very well-played by these newly rising talents. Amanda Yeoman Brooke arrives as Laura, the girls’ mother who presents such a magnificently uncomplicated manner in how she strived to ensure her daughters knew just how much they meant to her, with the simple but moving view of this coming in the campfire scenes they share and beyond. Again, what appears subtle in delivery carries such weight in meaning, a tribute to Brooke’s acting.

Additional appearances are made by Max Nabholz and Rose Vanover. So, in total, a project like “Embers” represents indie film’s ongoing commitment to bring quality, grounded, narrative and character-driven tales to life in order that, even when it is centered on loss and the ways by which we choose to press forward and confront it, we may grow stronger because of the lessons and actualities we are witness to. Here, we see that when life’s flame reduces to almost nothing, there remain the embers aglow with unstoppable vitality, burning with the remembrances we shall hold dear, and in this case keeping alive in our thoughts those whom we’ve lost but will never, ever forget.

As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading.