Tuesday, June 11, 2019

Happy Birthday Rachel Confrancisco

Some patrons of the New Hope Film Festival only attend student films. The energy, the creativity, the devil-may-care freedom, whatever it may be, there is a certain je ne sais quoi to student film programs, and budget be damned they really can win you over.

Enter Happy Birthday Rachel Confrancisco, an eponymous short film with a sassy, bold attitude that stays on point from start to finish. Confrancisco in real life is tall for a woman, and she says it's a challenge justifying the extra space in the world that she occupies. On her 18th birthday, she's had enough of feeling self-conscious and apart from the norm, and now she is demanding...DEMANDING...that everyone take notice of her.

Not everyone does, and her TA in freshman English class can't even pronounce Rachel Sanfrancisco's name. The indignity of it all it too much when, after all freshmen are already low on the totem pole. (Ed. - Correction, her surname is spelled Confrancisco).

Rachel is cool, always taking her slights in stride while finding ways to up the ante. You've heard about the Boomer's Me Generation, and my own Generation X's (alleged) indifference to group identity, but no one should stand in the way of the selfie generation juggernaut, or engage the wrath of women like Rachel Confrancrisco.

You get the idea. A belated Happy Birthday, Rachel Confrancisco. We really like your film. You can watch the trailer here: