Published in: CPIFF 2023

CPIFF 2023 Short Film Review “Say My Name”

Author OneFilmFan

Published on: August 29, 2023

WATCH THE TRAILER BELOW

First, the Recap:

Humiliation, self-adjudged guilt, and the burden of lingering inner torment. Having to confront the demons of our past, especially when these specters were due to circumstances we were an indisputably involuntary victim of, there is still that sense of fault we tend to assign to ourselves as a means to either cope or NOT cope with the aftermath of it all. But, how much more does this get compounded when further choices we’ve made since also put us in the crosshairs of forced scrutiny, relentless ridicule, and pure unsympathetic hate? Mel (Quinn) may now be a beautiful young woman, but her life is anything but settled. Immeasurably haunted by an excruciating, horrifying reality she experienced as a child at the hands of her apathetic, emotionally derelict father (James Ryan) and his friends, Mel’s only true joy is her partner Liz (Jarrah Webster). Struggling to actually contend with the overwhelming weight of everything, it isn’t clear whether Mel can find the means to overcome her agony and find that elusive angel she desperately seeks–hope.

Next, my Mind:

Let’s be candid. Having to admit that ANY form of malicious machinations or actions involving abuse of children even EXISTS is a hard enough actuality to entertain, much less that not only ARE such incidents all too real, but they seem to be happening with more and more impunity as time passes, making it MORE gut-wrenching to swallow. Combine this now with the ever-present controversy that surrounds how people choose to view the LGBTQIA+ community, and it sounds like a recipe for massive social conflict and subsequent cries for CHANGE in order that the former be utterly eliminated from the Earth and the latter be better understood through eyes of GENUINE love and acceptance, no matter WHAT you believe about it. This might sound quite drastic, but for this critic, these are precisely the baseline concepts being explored through this keenly affecting, eerily jarring, yet beautifully, impactfully orchestrated, awareness-raising 13-minute short film from writer/director Rhoyce Nova and writer/producer Mel Baker.

Decidedly not a trip through the proverbial rose garden, the narrative sees a young woman wholly broken and mostly abandoned trying to survive on the streets of Sydney, Australia while fleeing from the demons chasing her from a past of violation and the dogged monster of shame which now clings mercilessly to her soul. Yet, in defiance of this, she’s actually attempting to do GOOD and discover HOPE in life, making it both a blatantly tragic yet undeniably inspiring tale. Told in present tense and through creatively executed, visually subtle, but overtly disturbing flashbacks that cement, no BURN, into your mind the traumatic terrors of this character’s childhood, the sheer ugliness, remorseless, immorality, and damaging effects of what’s alluded to and addressed just shakes you as the viewer to the core. However, the total authenticity of what we see only increases the depth of compelling influence this effort conveys, basically forcing you to SEE the darkness portrayed and realize how much more we NEED to be better able to combat these atrocities and aid those who’ve experienced it.

BUT, what I then appreciate and admire about the film even more is that there’s this wonderfully written, but intentionally underlying LGBTQIA+-based layer that isn’t remotely conspicuous, yet still manages to make itself strongly known through the story while maintaining its more subdued presence. And it DOES play a KEY role here, but I don’t wish to enter any possibility of spoilers in revealing HOW. I just know it’s yet another example of this particular thematic foray is taken on boldly yet in a manner that isn’t weighted down by an agenda-laden purpose. It’s really its own supporting player behind the primary specter of abuse and the mind-numbing, ongoing consequences psychologically and physically it has on someone. Emotional wounds that fester, lingering inner and outer scars, being cast aside and out by someone who was supposed to love and cherish you, harrowing abuse, suicide, and fighting for ANY semblance of hope in spite of everything seemingly being against you are all given time to be pondered here.

The imagery is starkly vibrant, if that’s possible, and encompasses you fully in the world of such anguish tempered with acts of compassion which keeps you engaged throughout and assuredly makes you THINK about both central themes mentioned above. Quinn (whose full name is Quinn Alice Campbell), steps away from her composing duties for this effort and takes on the lead role with an exemplary magnitude of energetic volatility that breaches the heart, mind, and soul through her portrayal of Mel, a lively yet acutely afflicted woman trying to find refuge, peace, and any modicum of aspiration and sincere love while battling a severely fractured past. Cast out of her home by a cruel and abusive father due to her more recent choice of orientation, Mel resides in the streets while still striving to show mercy and kindness to others even as she cannot seem to forgive herself for things she had no control over as a child.

Pressing into the one relationship that has any meaning to her, Mel continues to experience constant hardship and hopelessness begins to take over. Whether Mel can find her way OUT of this becomes the question, and to witness the degree and expansive range of misery welling up in her is SO well acted by Quinn, who just infuses the character with an overwhelming aura of yearning to be free of the pain even as things don’t appear to be turning around. The final sequence of the film is tear-jerking drama at its most potent, at least it was for me, and made me appreciate Quinn’s talent and ability to “go there” so adeptly and realistically, which couldn’t have necessarily been easy to embody. Primary supporting turns arrive from Webster as Mel’s steadfast partner Liz who’s desperate to save her friend and sole love from choosing the wrong “out” of the events she’s being consumed by, and Ryan as a true “character you COMPLETELY love to hate” in SPADES as Mel’s father, a man with no regrets or conscious, whose abuse of his own daughter when she was a child (a literal party favor for him and his friends!!) has now escalated to shunning her for another choice she’s made.

Additional turns come from Nuno Filipe, John Stericker, Kate Olivia, Winnie Grigg, Darrell Jones, and Tarni Sneddon. So, in total, “Say My Name” is another necessary film on a multitude of levels, a lesson in the glaring evils which continue to invade and infiltrate the shadowy corners of our world while also tackling the equally prevalent perceptions of the LBGTQIA+ community as well. Folks, these are both current hotbed topics in different ways, but I first feel the film should act as a catalyst for us to not only be reminded of how hate-filled and soulless abuse in ANY form towards another human being is, but spur us to ACTION against it, to be a part in whatever way we’re able to see it CEASED and to be there for those in need of earnest help and healing from the trauma its brought about. Secondly, the prejudice towards those of gay orientation also needs to STOP, for what will it take for us to know we CAN believe as we choose about it WITHOUT it resorting to malice and misguided opinion, but instead come from what we need SO desperately in this age–REAL, abiding love for one another.

STAR RATING: (Out of 5)

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