The Arrival - British Short Film
Daniel Montanarini's short film, 'The Arrival,' revolves around the character of Anna, played by Emily Barber, as she grapples with the important decisions of whether or not to get an abortion. The narrative unfolds solely through Anna's inner thoughts, conveyed through a non-diegetic voice over.
The film maintains a straightforward structure, with the camera purely focused on Anna and her facial expressions. Montanarini makes a strategic directorial choice by having the camera continuously dolly in on Anna, providing an intimate view of the situation she is in. At pivotal moments, the camera dollies out again, revealing how her evolving mental landscape contrasts with the surroundings of the coffee shop. the effective direction is accentuated by Alistair Little's cinematography, with the lighting aligning the spectator with Anna's shifting thoughts, with half her face being cast in light, and the other half in semi-darkness.
While the narrative simplicity may limit deeper interpretations, Emily barber's voiceover performance aligns with the pacing of the narrative, and her physical performance harmonises with the depicted thoughts of whether or not she should keep her baby.
Despite its straightforward way of telling its story, The Arrival is able to tell a compelling story in a very short time, and without any cuts in the editing either.
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