The shadows of loved ones never truly leave people. Birdie (Shelby Factor), recently deprived of her sister Tama (Quannah ChasingHorse), finds herself engaged in conversation with her late relative while driving a car. Reflecting on their shared memories, Birdie spends her days calling out to the heavens, hopeful that her sibling may respond in some way or another. The more she commits to the journey, the stronger the bond becomes.
Thin Places is set in modern-day United States, but the treatise – a family member searching for resolution in a life painted with grief – is as old as the Bible itself. The short feature holds spiritual connotations, not least because Birdie looks upwards for answers. Searching for something to fall from the sky, she is nevertheless reminded of how pretty, buoyant and playful her family member was during her short period on this planet.
Sixteen minutes is insufficient time to do justice to the narrative, but director Brit Hensel nonetheless spins a yarn that is tender, and decidedly cognisant of audience members undergoing similar sorrow. There are no grand gestures, no furrowed eyebrows, or exasperated screams of despair. Just one woman aching for one more dialogue with her departed chum.
The strength of Thin Places lies in the acting, a work that could fit the stage as well as it does the big screen. Factor acquits herself nicely to the role of Birdie, a face that’s a mixture of stern grimaces and jubilant smiles. There was a happy, content person who who used to enjoy mirthful conversations with a family member; now memories are all that remain. A cocktail of pride and sadness, Birdie summons enough strength to carry on with her life. Although one journey ends, it doesn’t mean all other lives must halt themselves.
The movie utilises an interesting colour palette: yellows are placed front and centre in the camera. In an almost Hinduistic expression of grief, Birdie seems intent on celebrating her departed companion with psychedelic garments. This contrasts the black-and-white garbs commonly worn in most of the West when it comes to commenting on grief. It is as if the director, writer and actors were keen to carry on Tama’s legacy by enjoying the vitality of the moment. In terms of mis-en-scéne, the wafts of vivid colours cover the forefront in a means of delivering the underlying sense of hope which cements the whole work.
“Please answer me”, Birdie cries; “I’m here to listen”. Whether it’s to the viewers, her sister or a higher power, the words make their mark. Evidently searching for conclusion, Birdie commits herself to the dialogue, and by doing so realises that love is stronger than death. Hosing down the garden, the simple chores become meditative in their completion. However tragic the loss, Birdie has emerged from the experience a more confident and self-assured person. Best of all, although there has been death, it was a bond based around the most valued of human facets: love.
Thin Places premiered at the ImagineNATIVE Film Festival
