Director/Writer:
Jefferson Moneo
Starring: Coral Aiken, John Brodsky, Shana Dowdeswell
Synopsis:
Martha wants to escape her rural life. When a mysterious drifter shows up on her farm, will she finally get her chance?
Jefferson Moneo’s love for his
local landscapes is the unmistakable heart of Going South. There are elements that feel borrowed or imitated but the
pictorial projection of his homeland is strikingly unique.
The story concerns a young woman,
Martha (played by the late Shana Dowdeswell – to which the film is dedicated)
dulled by the rural, monotonous life she’s leading. One afternoon a mysterious
man drives up to her asking for directions south. Seeing him she is overcome
with lust and a desire to ride away with him.
With Moneo juxtaposing the notion
of “home sweet home” with his location work and then the protagonist’s yearning
for escape, Going South is slightly
confused with its message. The negative representation of the area is
undoubtedly revolved around the people that inhabit it – the Canadian version
of rednecks – yet contrasted with the sheer beauty of the surroundings. In the
end it seems to largely promote Canada, rather than just devaluing one
province.
You instantly feel the isolation
of the prairie town, with some static shots that hold you within the barren
environment. Further to that, the cinematography that includes dazzling shots
of skylines, envelope the frame in whiteness or darkness (depending on day or
night) always firmly planting you in the moment.
Taken as a negative or positive
point, the characters also enable you to feel familiar to the trashy and
unexciting Saskatchewan locale. Some are clichéd (such as the father figure and
odd characters seen wandering around at the start of the film) which aren’t
aspects of creative writing, but are helpful in establishing a connection early
and quickly. Martha isn’t one of these clichéd characters but you can tell
right away from Shana Dowdeswell’s eyes that Martha is tired of her home. Opposed
to Martha, the man she eventually falls for – dressed in black with slicked
back hair – is unoriginal. So for whenever Going
South seems lacklustre you notice something fresh like the photography or
Martha, before feeling a sigh at the tedious parts like the stereotypes or
cartoon types (the man in black).
As an auteur (however early it
may be to use such a term for a young short film director) Moneo is building up
an interesting collection of country-based stories. Going South is nothing special in narrative terms but it is well
edited and beautifully shot. The main attraction of the piece is Shana
Dowdeswell but tragically this film becomes a memorial piece for what would
have been an exciting career.
Going South was competing in the Cinefondation Selection at Cannes 2013. Also published Nisimazine Cannes 2013 (page 65)
No comments:
Post a Comment