What begins as a Beckettian scenario soon turns into an allegory of human destiny and a tender exploration of inter-human relationships. ‘OBOLUS‘ is a must-see short film that starts with a fundamental philosophical question and delivers a meditation on life and death. Such an endeavour, while consistent and ambitious, is a trap for many young filmmakers, as they tend to adopt a pathetic or highly melodramatic attitude. However, director Kim Fabienne Hertinger manages to avoid this formula with a playful style that defuses the inherent tragic context of her characters. Yes, death is one of the obsessive themes of humanity, which has always tried to see what lies “beyond” the boundaries of objective reality or has created compensatory fiction to understand a soul’s journey in the universe. It is precisely this fascination that emanates from every frame of the short film, as the director takes an archaic Greek mythological pattern and updates it according to the structure of the contemporary world: the migration of souls towards Hades, thanks to the ferryman Charon, who helps the dead to cross the river Styx. The two characters are thus in a transitory space, which privileges a last moment of reflection before the great passage to a new world.
Two men find themselves alone on a highway to nowhere. Who are they, and what made their meeting happen? Each will try to come up with an answer, unaware that they both have a more important mission than they realise.
Based on a dynamic style that blends elements of mystery with the nuances of dramedy, Kim Fabienne Hertinger’s short film impresses with its warmth and humanism beyond its impeccable technical execution. The director’s ability to compress, with so few narrative devices, such a profound message that exudes both nostalgia and contagious optimism is impressive. The relationship between the two characters serves as a universal metaphor for the human condition, conveyed through their interactions. This makes ‘OBOLUS’ a striking reinterpretation of the idea that our destiny is an initiatory journey toward a new form of existence.
