Trust Issues

For better or worse, until death do them part. Yes, there are such couples, and it is precisely this union that continues beyond death that makes them so touching. ‘Trust Issues‘ is a short film that focuses precisely on such a duo who is willing to risk anything to build a harmonious micro-universe where the shortcomings of the narrow world in which they lived no longer exist. Of course, the ways to reach such an inner and outer balance are not always… legal, but here the vision of director Andretti Dante comes in, trying to build an empathetic couple, despite their reckless actions. Thus, the protagonists of this short film fit in the category of picaresque or Bonnie&Clyde-ish couples, however, lacking the experience and versatility needed to successfully reach their goals, who are pushed by their own living conditions to commit a risky act, while becoming, ultimately, the victims of both their illusions about the chance of a new beginning, and of a cynical destiny that condemns them to an absurd existence (and death). Not coincidentally, this short film, although it is, in its very essence, a drama that illustrates the total decline of two lovers who choose to risk everything, even breaking the law, the director pushes the finale towards a black humour area, towards a kind of punchline that enhances the existential absurdity and the unlucky aura of the characters even beyond their miserable life.

When Charlie and Megan decide to plunder a bar, despite their precautions, things take a turn for the worse. Their attempt to escape from the authorities might be their last chance to have a sincere conversation about the true nature of their feelings, a last chance to understand that nothing bad can happen if they stay together. However, Megan hides a secret, a personal failure, that could compromise everything.

Despite its more or less spectacular narrative (the general public is already familiar with the typology of the protagonists, but also with the contexts described), one of the great merits of this project is the versatility of the director Andretti Dante who manages to balance the drama, the absurd and, at times, the tragicomedy in a compact product, through a consistent dialogue depicting the inherent contradictions of the human soul. The linearity of the shooting style that aims to enhance the authenticity effect of the action, as well as the temporal slippages that fragmentarily render the natural chronology of the events, create an intimate emotional link between the characters and the spectator, making the personal experience of the protagonists to be received through a wide range of emotions. ‘Trust Issues’ is a short film about the ups and downs of a peculiar couple, presenting with a tender and cynical realism the unpredictable fate of two soulmates and the hostile world they live in which pushes them to extreme acts.