Drama | 11mins | English (UK) | 2016
Directed by: Leon Lopez | Written by: Mark Kibo Rivira
Starring: Mark Kibo Rivira, Katie Collins, Ashley Campbell & Calum Ewan Cameron
Liam, a young man wracked with confusion after an incident that triggers a mission of self-discovery where the choices he faces may risk changing his life forever.
Why you should watch it:
- Use of score/lack of dialogue
A little more insight…
Crossroad hooked me with its lack of dialogue and reliance on score to create the atmosphere and support the narrative because it is similar to something I have been involved in (check out a short written by myself, Cafune, which was given the Highly Commended Award for Drama at the 2014 National Student Television Awards).
The lack of dialogue or ambient sounds, or restricted use of, can be pure magic; on one level the viewer is moved along by a melody whilst on another their brain is ticking away to make sense of what is being seen without spoken guidance. In this case it works. It draws us into Liam’s head as we try to figure out what is going on whilst he is also trying to make sense of it all.
The pacing and information reveals are also great, with us slowly being able to piece it all together before quite an emotional end.
On a quick side note, the head shaving scene reminded me of that time that I had a Britney Spears themed birthday party and I went full character and shaved my own head, through which I understand the cathartic nature of it all!
Who is Leon Lopez? How have I not come across him before? He’s certainly got an eye for picking great films!
Things that bugged me:
- The dubbing