There are some unfortunate accidents that trigger the most unpredictable emotional and creative resources in the human soul, defying the apparent tragedy of destiny. Generally speaking, ‘Resilient‘ is a short film approaching such an accident that, far from marking the tragic end of the fight against the whims of life, provides a total revival that not only activates a subtler discovery of our inner potential but also a better knowledge of others. Starting from a seemingly simplistic script that doesn’t try to shock through its narrative spectacularism, director Aloiz Krisak depicts the evolution of the emotional attachment between two brothers who have to endure the disastrous consequences of an accident that totally compromises the mobility of one of them. But it is precisely this lack of bombastic narrative elements that captures the attention of the spectator who has access, through this sensitive and human cinematic experiment, to the inartificial intimacy of a family built by the director on the principles of an attachable and recognizable realism, preferring not to transform the personal story of each character into a permanent challenge of veracity’s limits. It is therefore difficult to say what is the je ne sais quoi of this project that manages to excite you so deeply, even if it doesn’t intend to create a nonconformist life story, as it happens in films such The Diving Bell and the Butterfly’ or ‘My Left Foot’. However, the good dose of interpersonal relationships, as well as its discursive and narrative authenticity, are the main qualities of this short film which is so unspectacular for the general public taste and at the same time so vibrant, moving and credible.
After Willy suffers an accident immobilising him in a wheelchair, Matt feels responsible for the tragic destiny of his younger brother. This accident doesn’t only have some radical physical consequences on Willy but also some more delicate effects, turning the boy into an introvert who doesn’t love sport and nature anymore, preferring to isolate himself in his room to draw cosmic landscapes or to design bizarre machinery with which he could explore interstellar space. The relationship between the two brothers seems to regress, both because of the guilt that Matt assumes, and because of the incompatible passions that the two brothers have.
A beautiful metaphor of the vitalist energy of the human soul which the more it is captive into an immobilized body, the more it desires to thrive even further into the unknown cosmic space, Aloiz Krisak’s experiment is a sincere and profound incursion into the emotional labyrinth of a fraternal relationship succeeding in overcoming the whims of destiny. The director opts, therefore, to portray two complementary typologies that synthesize absolute liberty in order to create a refined parable about the inherent need of the human spirit for which the earth is too tight: Matt is a telluric character, symbolizing physical energy, while Willy is an etheric, cosmic character that isolates himself in imaginary explorations of infinite space beyond perceptible reality.
Excelling not only through a homogeneous technical strategy but also through an emotional descriptive soundtrack or a pleasant chromaticity that supports the evolution of the narrative thread, ‘Resilient’ is one of those special short films that excite through its authenticity, offering a deep life lesson about the beauty of unconditional love.
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