The short film is a beautifully seamless use of the same physical space to tell a story which may be all too familiar for several people - a moment of stress, a disagreement and the desperate need for the presence of a loved one, even in the face of all inability to ask for it. And yet, the tone and approach adopted to portray the same is fresh, endearing and heartwarming. Additionally, the physical space, in the process, perhaps also becomes a metaphor for the intimate, emotional space of affection and honesty the two characters share. It should be noted that none of this is apparent to the viewer in the opening shot of the film. The first visual suggests that this will probably be a story of separation, longing, yearning for a friend or a lover in another land. This is precisely how the film foils your expectations, and instead takes you into a different narrative altogether. As a woman awaits the result of a pregnancy test, a wait that has put her in deep distress, owing to a series of decisions she is herself deeply uncertain about, a moment of extreme vulnerability, and consequently, of anger, fear and severe stress, is revealed to the viewer. The storytelling is the overarching winner of the narrative, supplemented wonderfully by the efficient and intelligent camerawork. The chemistry between the only two actors comes at a close second, ensuring that the film leaves you with the much needed warmth and belief in the human ability to form indelible bonds and empowering connections with one another, even in the face of all kinds of tribulations.

Thank You for Being Here | Short Film of the Day

At the film's core lie pertinent and important thematic concerns, but the manner it chooses to engage with them is kept deliberately lighthearted and frivolous, ensuring the conversation is open, inclusive and easily consumed. It talks of relationships and the familial space with a lens that is focused on interpersonal dynamics between men. 

 Lawrence has reached a point where any expression of love towards his twelve-year-old son, Jonas, will be jeered at and made fun of by his softball teammates. Though the film introduces you to the imagined and toxic standards of masculinity, as well as the idea of a family which can be both nurturing and oppressive, it never deviates from an approach that is marked by ease and humor. Its true strength lies in the fact that it does not take itself too seriously, the opposite of which could have possibly made the treatment of the subject matter hackneyed. 

 After an especially stressful day with his mates, Lawrence comes back home an emotional wreck who has to be comforted by a patient and sagacious Jonas. In a parodical reversal of roles, the son comforts his father. Following the kind words, the protagonist eventually finds himself strong enough to finally make a decision about Jonas and the softball team, however, will this decision come in time for Lawrence to make all the needed amends?

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