Hollyshorts Film Festival Review Roundup Part 2

Endling, dir. Kelly Yu

An endling is the last known individual of a species or subspecies. Once the endling dies, the species becomes extinct. This is the premise of Kelly Yu’s whimsically devastating speculative fiction short film Endling. Three years ago, all the goldfish in the world died, except for one, Pao Pao. She lives in America now, in hospice care at the Endling Home of Assisted Living for species that are the last of their kind. But before it gets to this sad point, Endling takes us back…all the way back. “Do you know the origins of the first goldfish?” the curious voiceover asks. Two thousand years ago in China a school of carp became tired of being grey and dull; the Jade Emperor promised to transform them if they could jump over the waterfall at the top of the Yellow River. We see this charming backstory told in an imaginatively animated prelude that drops us into the artistically ingenious world of Endling.

When Endling flashes back to its present, Yu shows a multimedia flurry of newspaper headlines, TV news clips, and tweets of how this goldfish endangerment came to pass. Yu’s mix of serious emotion and deadpan humor is evident in the flashy delivery of this section (the fishless future is explained, straight-faced, “the goldfish all died from stress from inflation and racism…plus Iceland is gone”). Endling carries on from this point in a heightened documentary style, including chyrons, B-roll footage, and talking heads delivering direct to camera interviews, with a goldfish ichthyologist, and the main “character” of the “documentary,” Pao Pao’s caretaker Richard, played with aching emotionality by Dennis Dun (Big Trouble in Little China, The Last Emperor). Just like goldfish are, Richard is an immigrant from China, and he takes his job more seriously than you can imagine, even dressing in an elaborate goldfish costume to keep Pao Pao company.

Yu’s work is driven by a deep fascination with finding humanity in the absurd, as well as exploring complex familial relationships and cultural identity through an "East-meets-West" lens. Even in its fantastical setting (the colourfully vibrant production design by Annie Becker brings an off-kilter sense of wonder to the Endling home), Yu is able to draw out a human connection between Richard and Pao Pao. When he was the first in his family to finish school, Richard thought he would change the world, but when he got to America he felt useless, had to work hard to “improve” and fit in—just like the original carp wanted to improve their looks. Richard takes such god care of Pao Pao at the end of her life because in China when you die your family burns your favourite things so you can have them in the afterlife. “But what if there is nobody to burn your iPad,” he worries, “you’ll be a big loser in the afterlife.” The bright colours and zippy one-liners belie the melancholy loneliness in Richard and Pao Pao.

Ending is one of the films to come from Season 4 of Rising Voices, a program that aims to discover, invest in, and amplify stories created by Black, Indigenous, and People of Color (BIPOC) filmmakers and storytellers. Rising Voices was born out of the question of what would happen if the production budget for a national TV spot was instead invested in BIPOC directors to create short films. Yu is in LA currently developing her debut feature film, an extended version of Ending.

Review by: Joshua Hunt

Libbi's Trying, dir. Andrew Carter

Libbi is the personification of a messy bun, and not the salon blow out kind. We follow her during a chaotic but likely normal day in her life as she fails to balance multiple jobs, family and relationships.

Libbi wants to be an actress, or at least she thinks she does. She also does tutoring to stay afloat since she, as her agent Karl likes to point out, has not booked any acting gigs in a while. Karl has now booked Libbi in for an audition with the famed company “Baby Boss Couch”, whos catchy jingle prompts their customers to:

”Give your baby a light toss, right on top of the baby boss!”

There is a slight hiccup though, Libbi and Eric, the father of her son Levi, have separated and today is Eric’s day to have Levi. Through deceit, trickery, bribery, lies and ultimately kidnapping her own son Libbi finally makes it to the audition only to find out that the light toss is more of a throw across the room.

As the title suggests Libbi really is trying in her own way to figure things out. Yes her judgment is flawed and sure she is not always truthful to those close to her, yet somehow you still cannot help but feel for her. Perhaps it helps that everyone, including a complete stranger smoking on a nearby street, appears to be against her. Or perhaps it is just the age old tale of rooting for the unlikely underdog.

Regardless of which we want her to succeed because deep down and probably to a much smaller extent we can relate to throwing logic out the window and going with your gut for a moment. In her own wild way Libbi clearly loves Levi, probably even Eric despite not listening to a word he says.

The tone throughout this film mixes tragic with satirical comedy and stays light hearted for the most part, but once we start to peel back those layers of cushy jokes there is something much more heavy at play. We see a childhood without stability, torn between parents who lost themselves along the way. We see a mother gasping for air fighting tooth and nail to survive amongst a sea of obstacles, chasing a dream that she hardly even believes in herself anymore.

Ultimately I think this is why we root for Libbi. She does it all in the wrong ways for the right reasons, and she is above all else - trying.

Review by Robin Hellgren

Shouting at the Sea, dir. Benjamin Verrall

Directed by Benjamin Verrall, Shouting at the Sea beautifully sets the tone from the start. Gorgeous seaside cinematography mixes with a lovely score and the sound of waves, as the voice of the sea introduces you to the “pleasure town, shuttered and still”, where this short takes place. 

It’s in this town of Hastings where we are introduced to our two protagonists Joe and Catherine, impeccably acted by Harry Mitchell and Maddie Rice. You at first wonder what the nature of their relationship is. Are they ex-lovers, old acquaintances or somewhere in between? 

Initially, they hold their cards close to their chest. Not much is revealed as Joe states he does “a little of this and a little of that for work”. They stay in the shallow end and stumble through awkward small-talk while sitting on a bench and taking in the views of the sea (featuring one of my absolute favourite shots of the short, a ~1:7 ratio of beach, to a wall of sea). Slowly as the day progresses from arcade games to pub talks, piece by piece you begin to put together that this was where they both grew up, and that they used to be close friends. 

A trio of writers Kate Auster, Ruth Marshall and Amelia Rowcroft craft a magnificent screenplay, that is perhaps one of my favourites of the year. Scenes of Joe and Katherine slowly healing a long lost bond are interspersed with poetic musings from the perspective of the sea. 

“Over and over the waves surge forth and then retreat. Advancing and withdrawing in an endless dance, brought together and pulled apart, forever connected, never one”

This short really makes you feel at one with the sea (voiced by Daisy Haggard) as you study the characters relationship alongside it. Although the conversations between Joe and Catherine are simple and closed off to begin with, as they begin to relive the days of their youth, they open up and wade into deeper conversations. 

There is something about this short film that hit me deeply and has had me reminiscing all week. It produces a sense of nostalgia in a way and gets you thinking back on former friendships. Unfortunately, there is something universal about falling out or losing touch with friends that I think we can all relate to. Sometimes the falling out is just a fading away, sometimes it is paired with a more drastic catalyst or event that made it go awry. 

There are lots of messages one could take from this short. It’s a very real and human subject with raw, vulnerable emotions.

“You listened, that’s the main thing”

There is healing in having someone truly listen to you spilling out your heart. It’s hard to be vulnerable at times and equally hard to reconnect to your past and relive those events. As difficult as it is, I love how in the end Joe and Katherine tackle their teenage conflict head on. Hindsight is 20/20 and there is still hope to mend the past as long as both sides are willing to be open and honest. Sixteen year old Joe and Katherine may not have had the right words to say at the time, but sometimes through distance and growth you can rekindle what once was. 

Review by: Brandon MacMurray

Fish Out of Water, dir. Francesca Scorsese

Fish Out of Water narrates the story of Alexis, a young mother who lives in a motel room with her young son, Tyler, who stays playing in a bathtub while she is working as a sex worker. She has been distant from her family due to her life choices. It all changes when her father arrives to tell her that her sick mother has gotten worse and is demanding her presence. The situation makes her confront past demons and look at the future to decide her and Tyler's fate. Directed by Francesca Scorsese, the film World Premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival 2023 and is now part of HollyShort's selection. 

As soon as the story starts, one might feel it falls into conventional territory. However, Francesca thrives in exposing the past problems between father and daughter. The motivations are compelling. Tyler is a narrative tool that ignites a sudden bond between those characters. The acting is well-directed, and it is captivating throughout the whole length.

Despite being a narratively strong, Fish Out of Water is far from perfect. The dialogue at times may seem a bit natural and forced, while Francesca shows some difficulty in directing the actors movements. I felt myself wanting a bit more out of the story. The plot felt unfinished, and another draft would polish some narrative beats, delivering a greater sense of cohesion. Some visual aspects also felt a bit off, such as the water effects on the screen simulating an ocean visual to empathize with the out-of-pattern metaphor. It drives the viewer away from the story for a moment. Apart from these flaws, the directorial decision to make it a character-driven story is a hit decision. It succeeds in engaging the viewer most of the time while the drama is convincing enough. 

Fish Out of Water is a solid directorial effort by Francesca Scorsese. She creates a convincing family drama that is basic but effective in telling about those character's pains. 

Review by: Pedro Lima