Dir. Terrence Jones
Barely under nine minutes, this short film weaves a delicate story of loss and survival, present and future, and fiction and reality. It starts with a voice-over that establishes the fictional dimension: a grandfather and granddaughter are co-authoring a story about a female warrior intent upon retrieving a magic jewel and saving the ‘Colonel,’ her companion. However, the writing of the story itself takes place within the fictional frame of a post-apocalyptic event: six years have passed, the grandfather-as-narrator intones, and only ‘she’ survived in a world devoid of cars, airplanes, and others. This level of the story is signified by the goggles that the main character wears pushed back on her forehead. Other objects intrude upon the fictional world from the ‘real’ world that will be revealed only at the end of the film: decaying flowers, an abandoned teddy bear, and pill bottles strewn upon a stream bank. Another central object is a simple water bottle, which the protagonist fills with water from a nearby stream in an attempt to heal the grandfather. We are within a story within a story.
This ‘nesting’ of narrative worlds is a complex narrative structure to render on film, since the cinematic image is always perceived by the audience as unfolding in the present of the viewing experience. For Jones, this is more than a narrative device. As we move from one story level to another, the transitions become the visual equivalent of the ‘passage’ in the title. The director explains the multiple meanings of the ‘passage’ as referring to: “the story that she’s writing…The passages in her story go beyond just being fiction; they’re actually based on real events occurring in her life. Her passage (journey) into the unknown to find help for her grandfather. Finally, it also refers to her moving beyond the passing (passage) of her grandfather.”
Visualization
The camera style is straightforward and effective. The film begins with a three-shot montage sequence establishing the desolate natural environment. Soon after, a wipe(0:18) introduces the implied presence of a menacing ‘other.’ An audio bridge(0:29) follows, marking the transition from the exterior of the forest to the interior of a small camper; a cut to the water bottle reinforces the young girl’s attempt to heal the grandfather. The dialogue between granddaughter and grandfather that follows is edited in tight close-ups, emphasizing the bond between the two. Though warned by the grandfather against trying to find help, the protagonist nevertheless ventures into a nearby abandoned town. For the first time, we see her framed through a door, which suggests the presence of an unseen watcher(4:08). An empty merry-go-round and a swing that are still moving sustain the tension. Another wipe (5:05) again suggests the invisible presence of an ‘other,’ but this time we hear a woman’s anguished cries (5:24). Shocked, the protagonist flees back to the safety of the camper; this sequence is shot with a handheld camera and rapid cuts to convey her fear. At this point, the story leads us to the ‘real’ world of the narrative.
Though filmed in color, the muted palette favoring dark greens, browns, and greys give the film a desaturated, almost black and white look. The soundtrack is also quite effective in suggesting an unseen, unknown threat. Finally, the performances, especially of the lead actress, are natural and convincing.