The experience of being an artist is often more romanticized than perhaps any other profession or choice of life, leaving the darkness that comes to constitute it overlooked and ignored. The pursuit of creativity is marked by several obstacles, seemingly insurmountable in their appearance, and requiring exhausting effort to be overcome. The pain, that is an inevitable part of this process, is often portrayed as a badge of honor, for instance in the case of the mould of the tortured artist, seen as something to be reveled and gloried in. This whitewashing of an artist's struggles often keeps the world unaware of how isolating the experience of creating something can be, sometimes leaving them only with the voices and doubts in their head as a companion.
The short film is a lovely portrayal of all of these ideas, achieved by introducing us to the failed attempts of Olivia to create a painting that would justify her definition of greatness. As she grapples with one foiled attempt after another, the line between perseverance and self-sabotage is left blurred. The protagonist continues to slip deeper and deeper into the territory of self-destruction, entrapping herself within a web of her own thoughts. This metaphor finds a literal, physical representation in the powerful image of Olivia entwining herself within a web of red wool of her own making.
The film, in the process, becomes an engagement with imposter syndrome and its protagonist's debilitating struggle to overcome it. And yet, as her attempts grow in their scale and proportion, acquiring an almost theatrical quality, is it only a moment of eventual surrender that awaits her at the end of it all? A Sweeter Place not only raises this question, but also offers an answer. On the technical front, while it is not devoid of a few hits and misses, a little instability in a handheld shot or a dialogue sustained too long, the final product remains fresh, honest and deeply impactful in the manner of sharing its story and intentions with the viewer.
Read LessThe short film is a lovely portrayal of all of these ideas, achieved by introducing us to the failed attempts of Olivia to create a painting that would justify her definition of greatness. As she grapples with one foiled attempt after another, the line between perseverance and self-sabotage is left blurred. The protagonist continues to slip deeper and deeper into the territory of self-destruction, entrapping herself within a web of her own thoughts. This metaphor finds a literal, physical representation in the powerful image of Olivia entwining herself within a web of red wool of her own making.
The film, in the process, becomes an engagement with imposter syndrome and its protagonist's debilitating struggle to overcome it. And yet, as her attempts grow in their scale and proportion, acquiring an almost theatrical quality, is it only a moment of eventual surrender that awaits her at the end of it all? A Sweeter Place not only raises this question, but also offers an answer. On the technical front, while it is not devoid of a few hits and misses, a little instability in a handheld shot or a dialogue sustained too long, the final product remains fresh, honest and deeply impactful in the manner of sharing its story and intentions with the viewer.
Cast
HAVE YOU MADE A FILM?
