Every year, a Sundance film can become a significant hit (“Past Lives” is a prominent example), but the festival’s short films can fade away. The 2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour will bring an omnibus of seven films to theaters nationwide. ‘When You Left Me on That Boulevard’, directed by Kayla Abda Galan, alone is enough reason to watch this.
This lovable and funny short tells the Thanksgiving gathering of a Filipino-American family through the eyes of Lee, an introverted teenager who has been a daydreamer since before he was stoned with his cousin. The film contains both bustling images and delicate atmospheres, inner voice tranquility and delicate soundscapes, all of which come to life in cinemas.
Galant seems particularly drawn to dialing in private spaces in social settings. For example, she talks about her boyfriend like she’s talking to herself until she finds out that Lee is surrounded by her family. Lee may sound her lovable indifference, but instead of letting actors play out such tendencies for her cheesy laughs, the writer-director takes in the warmth of the room.
Gallant also cares about different ways to show how the family is united. Whether it’s karaoke (the short’s title comes from the song Lee’s aunt sang enthusiastically) or a cool split shot of kids and parents lounging on either side of a wall. If her collection of past Sundance acts as a guide, this short could be a feature-length heraldry, and Gallant’s immersive exploration of spaces inside and out will keep anyone keen to see what’s coming next. Drive.
In many short stories, family ties portray changing weather. The only documentary in this selection by Katherine Hoffman and Sharon Riese, “Parker” reveals the rich and difficult history of the black experience in Kansas City families’ decision to adopt the same surname. Interviews with parents and their children reveal the love, fear, and trauma imprinted in their names, and the peace and unity promised by their choices.
Crystal Kaiza’s “Rest Stop” resembles realistic non-fiction and follows a Ugandan-American mother who travels with her three children to meet her estranged partner. Kaiser ponders scenes that would have been relegated to a montage in a feature film, but she sits restless, tired, and scattered, feeling like she’s thrust into an alternate future. Better. Liz Sargent’s “Take Me Home” tells the story of a cognitively disabled woman (played by Sargent’s real-life sister Anna) who, after years of relying on her sick mother, takes care of her. It is also a portrait of him sending an SOS to his sister.
Comedy is well represented in this collection. “Pro Pool” feels like a trailer in and of itself, with a swirl of retail workplace humor. Meanwhile, the stop-motion animation Inglourious Liaison lovingly depicts a goofy teenage party where people hold light switches. face. But Emilia Scott’s insightful, well-cast opener “Help Me Underground” turns a focus group of women testing detergent scents into a nervous experiment in jury dynamics. is changing to It’s a nimble way to shift gears from satire to a double-edged dissection of perspective, preparing viewers for a variety of voices to follow.
2023 Sundance Film Festival Short Film Tour
Unrated. Running time: 1 hour 27 minutes. at the theater.
