Trigger Warning: Sexual Assault
Sexual assault is perhaps the only crime where the survivor, and not the perpetrator, is left to deal with the consequent shame and guilt that accompanies it. The short film invokes the same sentiment as one of its primary preoccupations without explicitly spelling out any of it. This also goes to become one of the most notable elements of the narrative - conjuring several moments of poignancy, urgently demanding viewer's complete absorption with the events unfolding before them, without truly naming anything.
The narrative is marked by an economy of words, allowing the performance by Melisa Alkanlar, notable in its vulnerability, to bring to life on screen the unease and discomfort of past trauma. Amidst it all, however, there is also an important message about acceptance and the difficult, obstacle-ridden road that leads to it.
The permanence of such an ordeal, especially when experienced at a young age, can continue to scar and cripple one for years to come, making the achievement of the acceptance that it was not your fault, even more evasive and insurmountable. A path requiring immense courage, it is however the only one that can eventually lead to closure, reminds the narrative. As for the protagonist, who finds herself consumed by her past to the point of it affecting her school grades and day-to-day life and experiences, will she finally succeed in reaching this destination?
Read LessSexual assault is perhaps the only crime where the survivor, and not the perpetrator, is left to deal with the consequent shame and guilt that accompanies it. The short film invokes the same sentiment as one of its primary preoccupations without explicitly spelling out any of it. This also goes to become one of the most notable elements of the narrative - conjuring several moments of poignancy, urgently demanding viewer's complete absorption with the events unfolding before them, without truly naming anything.
The narrative is marked by an economy of words, allowing the performance by Melisa Alkanlar, notable in its vulnerability, to bring to life on screen the unease and discomfort of past trauma. Amidst it all, however, there is also an important message about acceptance and the difficult, obstacle-ridden road that leads to it.
The permanence of such an ordeal, especially when experienced at a young age, can continue to scar and cripple one for years to come, making the achievement of the acceptance that it was not your fault, even more evasive and insurmountable. A path requiring immense courage, it is however the only one that can eventually lead to closure, reminds the narrative. As for the protagonist, who finds herself consumed by her past to the point of it affecting her school grades and day-to-day life and experiences, will she finally succeed in reaching this destination?
HAVE YOU MADE A FILM?
