Review: Sara (2023)
Review: Sara (2023)
A short film that completely understands how to place us in the position of a character who is, for whatever reason, just done with the day.
It would likely be universally agreed that life is chaotic and messy, but when you throw an airport and health scare into the mix, it can become an exhausting void of never-ending bad news. Sara is a film that completely understands how to place us in the position of a character who is, for whatever reason, just done with the day. And we feel her pain, which is twofold.
‘Flight delayed’ are words that you never want to read on a departures board or hear over a tannoy, and they always seem to appear at the worst time. Travel delays never seem to happen when you would just love to sit in an airport lounge, cocktail in hand, and watch the world go by, and they never seem to occur at a time that means you have a valid excuse not to show up to work on Monday either. They’re always at a crucial moment when it it is imperative you get from A to B as soon as possible and you’re already close to breaking point. Why is life like that?!
We feel this urgency with lead character Sara (Samora Smallwood), who tussles with her own sense of self when speaking to an airline worker (Naomi Snieckus) about the continuing delay. It seems she knows that the woman in front of her isn’t to blame for the aircraft’s technical faults, but who can she vent her frustrations to? Where else is there to go in an airport for help, but to the person on the desk who represents the company you’re flying with? It’s an uncomfortable conundrum and we can see that Sara doesn’t want to be ‘that person’, but when a small gesture of compassion is offered, it at least provides a little bit of promise and eases her exasperation.
At a bar, the introduction of a new character (Prince Amponsah) is pivotal. The interaction is easy and there’s a rare and unspoken, mutual understanding despite only knowing each other for seconds. In spite (or perhaps, because) of being strangers, they read each other - the subtext of the words, the body language, the location - and exchange a great deal about themselves and their lives. Very little is said, but so much is revealed. There is beauty to be found in every day interactions like this, and director/writer Jessica Hinkson absolutely nails the notion that people are intrinsically good without being whimsical, OTT or virtuous.
The power of conversations between strangers should not be, and is not, understated in this film. Life is full on, and the pace of it can sometimes result in us losing grip on what provides us with meaning. Sara reminds us that people are full of surprises, and although fleeting, you can find them in the most unexpected of places. As the main character realigns and continues on her journey, we are left with a renewed feeling of trust - not in the world, necessarily, but in the possibility of what good there could be just around the corner.
Sara, a film by Jessica Hinkson, will have its world premiere at the HollyShorts Film Festival in Los Angeles on August 12, at 7:30pm at the TCL Chinese Theaters.
For additional information and tickets visit: www.hollyshorts.com.