MARTHA | Omeleto
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- čas přidán 26. 05. 2021
- A teenager wakes up and discovers she's the last person on Earth.
MARTHA is used with permission from Christopher Haydon. Learn more at bluebirdproductions.com.au.
Martha wakes up one morning and gets ready, listening to music, brushing her teeth and cramming in breakfast like any other day. But this is no ordinary day. When she leaves the house she shares with her mother, she realizes that everyone has disappeared, and she is the last person on Earth.
Martha doesn't quite know what to do, spending her time wandering and listening to the last message her mother left on their answering machine. But then she finally encounters the one other person left on earth -- and discovers they are connected in a way that will alter their existences forever.
This intriguing, resonant short drama -- directed by Christopher Haydon, written by Iona Firouzabad and produced by Alexandra Blue -- is equal parts dystopian mystery and coming-of-age story. With exquisite cinematography and camera movement, it has the sweep and propulsion of an existential sci-fi thriller, while the discernment of its performances and writing unfurl a rich set of themes that pay off with a profoundly moving, soulful ending.
Its dramatic situation sets up a quiet film at first, with just one main character throughout most of the story, who must find her bearings. There is little dialogue but for the recording of Martha's mother, which Martha listens to again and again as the film progresses.
But despite the sparseness, the storytelling feels rich and full, starting with the compelling visuals, which inject both tension and a textured moodiness into the pacing. Thoughtful sound design and a particularly evocative use of music also adds to the drama, giving shape and form to Martha's emotional landscape and the peculiar emptiness of the world.
The film is anchored by a charismatic, compelling performance by actor Shannon Tarbet, who captures both the carefree, confident enjoyment of young adulthood and the increasingly unmoored anxiety of solitude. As she grows more scared, she seems to revert and clings to any reminder of her mother. But when she meets the one other person left on the planet, she discovers something more is going on, and must confront the fact that she must truly leave her family and home behind, both in reality and within.
MARTHA ends with a twist, one that spins the film into existentially profound territory. But while many twists go for shock, this particularly re-skewing of the film's events is executed with more steady sleight-of-hand than surprise. This twist adds a final chord of resonance that unfolds into an ending suffused with tenderness and emotion, as Martha faces the truth of what has happened and lets go of what she once knew to face the unknown. To say more would be to give it away, but it ultimately makes MARTHA into a story that lingers with viewers well after it's over, with feelings of aching, muted sorrow and grief.
A teenager wakes up and discovers that she and the camera crew are the last people on Earth.
The moral of the story : don't look at your cell phone while driving.
I spent the whole film admiring the really beautiful use of colour
When you see that the first time she wakes up, the alarm is similar to the heart moniter beeping and the red balloon was tucked on her bed then her phone was cracked, the mark on her head, the crashed car she sees was her own accident. And she meets that girl standing at the same place as she was standing before the accident.
Discovering that you're being alone is as equally amazing as terrifying at the same time
That sucks. Crying. My son was in a motorcycle accident. Flew 1000 miles to find him hooked to dozens of machines. He was in a coma for over 2 months and in the hospital for 1 year.
Man, some people are really putting out some quality work lately. The art of the short film has really come back and some of these film makers, actors, camera crews, special effects people are really displaying some talent and skills. That was great, seriously.
As a parent I can truly say that probably the most gut wrenching experience ever would be to outlive your children under any circumstance.
If they shot this during lockdown, then that's genius!
That poor girl, facing one of our most primal fears ever.
I'm honestly stuck on what to say.
Long enough to make us sympathetic to the character, and then you make us cry. Extremely well done.
This would be me if I was her:
Some striking examples of metaphor in dream: the voice Martha keeps listening to is her mum, whose real voice she is hearing repeatedly in her coma state with mum@ bedside, but she can't see her or respond. The vision of Angie keeps popping in her mind; the Toothbrush moment is brilliant- her vision of Angie is competing with her wanting to focus on her mum; she freaks out and tries to push Angie in closet for interrupting her thoughts of her mum, but Angie is only separated from Martha for a second; Martha can't erase her, even though she tried.
Apparently Martha's effort to avoid running over Angie failed and Angie died. Angie then came back to help with Martha's passing.
Wow! Brilliant short story! Love how she packs the new “blue” headphones before she leaves. So many beautiful details. Had to watch it twice in a row!! Excellent storytelling.
“Angie” , as in Angela , or Angel. The girls she hit knew the deal and waited to help her cross over. Lot of symbolism in this one. Brilliant!
Audio technique most people didn't notice: The rhythmic clacking of the bicycle tire was incorporated into the background music. Quite clever and creative.
I regret I can only give this one upvote. It's definitely one of the best short films I've ever seen.