Volume

Volume is a short film directed by Mahalia Belo, about a young man who's world gets turned upside down when the girl who lives at the house he gardens at, Georgina, goes missing. In a community where nothing is said about the incident, Sam tries to piece back together his memories of what happened with him and Georgina.

I really like that the opening mirrors the final scene of the film, and we get to see the neighbourhood from the perspective of Sam on his bike (who's perspective is revealed at the end of the film) and the attitude of the neighbours after Georgina's disappearance. We get to see on the trees as the camera tracks along the 'missing' posters with photos of Georgina, and unlike the final scene, the neighbours look straight to the camera instead of ignoring Sam altogether. 

The scene uses a lot of voiceover so we can gain insight into what Sam is feeling, and his memories of Georgina. Here we see a long shot of Georgina in the swimming pool looking at the camera; due to the perspective that the water gives, she is closer to the camera underwater, reflecting the scene later in the film when georgina tells him a secret underwater. This is one of the only times she opens up to Sam, and perhaps the only time she really opens up to anyone. 

The title shot is also used as a cutaway later on in the film, but then we get to see Georgina diving into the pool: here, in the opening, the editors decided that we only get to see the bubbles left after she dives in, representing the small part of Georgina that haunts the community once she disappears.

It is clear from the scene with Sam's friends that he is a bit more of outsider in the group. He is presumably much less experienced sexually than his other friends are, which also makes him feel left out, one step behind them. This is also shown literally as he stands in the ditch of the old pool while he looks up at his friends who are standing at ground level. Most shots of Sam are over the shoulder or just of him with his friends out of focus in the foreground or background, which shows how he, the introvert, is the more important, interesting and complex character. 

There is a clear difference between the relationship Georgina has with Sam and the affair that is implied that she has with his father. In the above scene we see this intimate moment between Georgina and Sam when she first gets to see his room. She walks round it, meticulously looking at his shelves, similar to the way in Hotel Chevalier that Jack's ex-girlfriends looks at his belongings in his hotel room to try and get an insight into what he's been up to. The whole colour palette has been edited to make the room look rose-tinted; it creates an almost romantic atmosphere, and also reflects the innocence of their relationship. It is not sexual, unlike the relationship she likely has with his father- this is even emphasised by the fact that in this scene she even encourages him to pretend with her that they are having sex in his room to freak his parents out. She can manipulate him as she is more self-assured and blunt with what she wants, but by the way that she acts around him we also see she feels comforted. 

When Sam realises that his dad may have harmed Georgina after it is heavily implied he had an affair with her, he gets into a physical fight with his father. The colour palette in this scene is incredibly dark and blue, reflecting the cold, melancholic and deeply sad tone of this scene; we witness a boy coming to terms with his father's betrayal and potential crime or action that might have hurt the girl he loves, and how their relationship is now broken. I love that it is dark outside with only natural light but the interior of the house that we see in the last shot above is lit artificially with warm colours- it shows how the family tries to present itself to the outside world as happy and cohesive, but in reality it is a facade, and it is in fact collapsing.  

The final scene shows how Sam is pretty much the only person cares for or remembers Georgina. The shots from the opening when Sam drives round the neighbourhood on his bike are used again, but this time the neighbours look away from him, immersed in their daily lives. We hear the sound of a honking car in the distance, and it is in fact Sam's dad, but instead of stopping he looks up at his son and puts his arm up, symbolising the barrier that is now between them, and drives away. Both Sam and Georgina's house are bathed in bright warm natural light, connecting them and the purity of their relationship amid a broken community.

I love the final shot of this film: the camera tracks away from Sam, and he simply turns and walks away. I would love to use a shot similar to this as my final shot for my short film. It shows his defeat but also we feel a sense of closure, as although he has given up he knows that she is gone and he can do nothing about it, hence why he chooses to walk away and move on.

The entire narrative structure of a mixture between the past and present, the sense of longing for another person that slips away from you, and even the bittersweet closure at the end of Volume are themes that have influenced my own work.

I have shown how this film has inspired my short film in my post and video on shot influences.