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First, the Recap:
What places within our own being, our conscious, our soul do we venture to in order to eclipse the manner in which the world sees or classifies us, ideally to realize our own values, reside in a space of equality, and simply KNOW inner and outward peace? This journey is singular, honed to our individuality, tempered by all the forces that push with and against us, molding us into what we should be, or that attempt to tell us what we don’t wish to be, therefore looking to abscond from what vexes us? Yet, can it also be a portrait of our innate vanity as well? For one woman (Gloria Gao), a proverbial (perhaps literal?) Mermaid, it is these self-reflections that preoccupy her restful, and restless, mind as she puts aside the trappings of reality to fade into a fantasy while battling to be seen and respected for WHO she is.
Next, my Mind:
The ongoing search for relevant understanding of the world around us, seeking the values we are striving to live through or see come about, recognizing our place amidst it all, and ultimately hoping to discover who we are, what part we play, and to be more acknowledged are but a few of the purposefully esoteric explorations on display through this newly expanded 14-minute indie short film project from writer/director/cinematographer/editor Mao Yu Lynn Yuan that certainly qualifies for this critic as experimental cinema STILL delivering what it’s best at. Having roots in the poetic ode to Victorian era women as presented in “The Mermaid” by Lord Alfred Tennyson (which we hear recited in its entirety still, but this time in multiple occurrences as well as in visually presented form), this is a voyage into the depths of human values as seen through a singular and unique perspective that is both tied to reality and the fantastical, taking the viewer on an existential ride that IS quite compelling and relatable once you truly pause to fully take in what is depicted here.
The paths inward while being immersed in the forces of actuality that surround her, experienced by a lone woman passing between her present and that which is imagined in order to locate liberation from what she doesn’t wish to face, is quite a eccentrically presented study in subtext and conjecture via many aspects of the film’s execution, as this critic feels you truly need to read well beyond the surface to pull out the thematic forays it is conveying. Even I freely admit to being a little lost in the story at first until beginning to look into the poem we hear and understand context at least a little better, and still I feel I might be interpreting things in a manner different than what the filmmaker had in mind. But, this to me, like so many more experimental indie films, IS the point and beauty behind it–HOW assessing meaning can shift and vary beyond just what we are witnessing, making our minds actually have to WORK and THINK about what the given narrative means to us individually as well as in relation to the world at large.
To me, this is a lesson in someone wishing to defy being objectified, as if being worth nothing more than being pursued, “hunted” as it were, seen as a trophy for nothing but outward beauty that then begins to explore the possibility that as much as this enigmatic woman might want to be respected, admired, and treated as an equal in a male-dominated world, hence “escaping” those values through an almost dreamlike state, does she still hold SOME more selfish sense OF her own influence over said men that is wholly purposeful, flat out manipulative, even having satisfaction that she can BE that way yet still want to be everything else the world tries to convince her she CANNOT? Again, I could be misreading so much here, but based on the material the film is delivering to us, this clash of conscious and the compelling truths the film is candidly exploring speaks to us as human beings overall to me as well, a necessary reminder that sometimes, we SHOULD take the time to reconsider how we are towards others and ourselves, having better awareness of those attitudes and either literal or perceived principals that dictate our worth, for good or ill.
Additionally, however, now having witnessed this freshly created and longer version of the original short, it very much maintains its undisguised, distinctly calculated idiosyncrasies, yet in doing so, does allow for a more clearer questioning and exposition on the entire male vs. female roles we see being regarded, as seen with the depiction of what is understood to be a Merman, while the supplemental footage which arrives in this film now would aim to perhaps expand on the consumption our world faces, the ongoing battle for a profound grasping onto the concept that we are ALL entitled to opportunity to grow, succeed, show off our specialness but still within the more innate unity as PEOPLE we should have, which I at least believe was plainly evident through the new imagery we’re privy to here. Can we just sit back and let ourselves be “eaten” and “cleaned out” by the barriers of gender roles and a patriarchal mindset where we need to escape to find meaning? OR can we CHANGE?
Ultimately, this really does come down to gender equality, not being pigeon-holed or “classified” into any set group or “type”, or worse as “inferior”, but rather seen as a human being who’s more than worth knowing for ALL they bring and hoping those around us will endeavor to invest in what lies beneath the surface. The imagery depicted here, I felt anyway, supports this well, as even the film’s overall look and tone is stripped down, straightforward, and to the point. Gao is a lead cast of one here, and with all that’s being portrayed, visually and with no dialogue other than what we hear via, get this, almost exclusively AI-generated voices (only ONE exception–the director herself!), the actress must do what I’ve always seen as one of the hardest things an artist would be made to do–REALLY prove their acting prowess by employing nothing but body language and facial expression in order to make us comprehend how the character is feeling and what they are encountering.
I say Gao absolutely accomplishes this through her role as The Mermaid, and it was as I so often point out a performance where understatement rules the day, and Gao embodies this character’s personally challenging plight with a beauty, grace, and intentionality that shouts MUCH louder than the character’s mostly subdued demeanor. Primary supporting appearances are greater now via Baoguo Huang as the Merman and Kun Fang as a butcher. The supporting AI voiceovers are credited for Ayesha Chauhan, Natasha Williams, Rose Baker, Sabrina Inkwell, Sharon Huang, and Tonia Nguyen. So, in total, “Mermaid In the Garden of Escapism” spans the empirical spectrum as only indie film can deliver, garnering what is sure to be a wealth of analysis and reflection while staying true to its core beliefs that gender equality, and perhaps even just all-encompassing equality amongst everyone, is an imperative pursuit that should be aimed for and achieved that we might see a world transformed and made so much the better for it. This film, though, is very much “I am woman, hear me roar”, even if quietly, but still no less decisively.
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
