Friday, May 24, 2013

Possum

Alex and Ben experience the devastating miscarriage of their first child. On the weekend of Halloween, Ben decides to get them out of town, hoping to have a chance to talk through their loss. Alex proceeds to protect herself through denial and treats the weekend, inappropriately, like a romantic getaway. But on a morning run, she finds a dead Possum on the side of the road, and heartbroken by the sight of its lifeless body, she comes to face her tragedy — and Ben. Now they can deal with each other. 

This 16-minute short film by writer, director and producer Eleanor Wilson, who is originally from Australia, is marked by a powerfully engaging relationship between two upwardly mobile professionals. The stakes of their problems are high, and the intelligent way in which they speak to each other gives their words extra heft and immediacy. Wilson herself plays the lead, superbly, and her leading man, Miguel Govea, brings equivalent depth to his role. 

This is a strong little drama. You can watch the trailer here: Possum Trailer