"When You Find Me" Review

Project Imagination's collaboration involving individuals all around the world has finally come to full production in the form of a short film. The film utilizes still frames submitted to the competition and ultimately incorporates the same exact photos into the film. There are a total of 10 themes addressed throughout the film ranging from:

The element of THE UKNOWN is unveiled through the beginning sequence of the film. Much like the actual submitted photo the director creates a dreamy out-of-this-world setting by changing the colors to bring out a white brilliance to the tree. White is often associated with purity and innocence which brings out a positive aura to the setting. (I) In comparison to the sky which is dyed in dark blue,  it bares similarity to a utopia of lush meadows and endless peace. This setting is where one of the daughters is able to meet her mother in heaven. (II) I also believe that the director places Lisle in a white nightgown to make her look like an a

angel lost in a world very unfamiliar to her. The wide shot provides a vast array of the hills and brings in a serene and calm environment. 

Moving on to RELATIONSHIPS. It is probably one of the most heart wrenching moments when their mother dies without seeing her daughters. Without words the director manages to reveal the depth behind this scene through details and emotions. In the image (III) we see a woman hanging lifelessly on the shoulder of her spouse. From the way her arm wraps around his shoulder in her last moments, and the way he embraces her, they are the parents of the daughters. The bandana on her head is an apparent symbol of the mother's fight against cancer which she unfortunately lost. The dark colors around her eyes shows how long she has suffered and it made even more clearer in the next photo. (IV) The tears that soil the father's face is

an obvious symbol of how strong their love for each other was. Within the background I had noticed yellow flowers and yellow card, which is a color that expresses joy and life. The irony of it being in the background was something that definitely caught my eye.

CHARACTER was implemented in the the film by distinguishing the troubled relationship between the sisters. After their mother's death, due to Lisle hiding from her sister, Aurora seems to be wallowing in sadness. The distance between them, marked by a wooden beam, shows her separated and distance the two have become. (VI) The character of Aurora changes by the simple manner that she is turned away from her sister. Implying she still resents Lisle for what she had done and the foreshadowing of the relationship with her mother and her unhappines over her death.
 (V) In addition, Lisle while swinging is constantly looking at the floor and makes a confused sad face. The swing represents her still being a child, but the emotions displayed convey how she doesn't believe that her mother is truly dead.

The submission for GOAL was a woman looking longing at a space squid through a small window. The director embeds the photo in Lisle's dream where she assumes that a rocket ship (VII) would be able to take her to her mother.  This obviously reveals goal since the rocket is seen orbiting a black cosmic universe and within is small Lisle. She encounters the space squid and it magically transports her to heaven where he mother rest. 

Since this scene was animated and used textures

to design the setting the sequences shows an unrealistic dream. In a way the hopes and dreams of Lisle's mind. A very powerful shot was the face reflected in the mirror as the squid came into focus. Eyes being one of the most powerful vectors in film, it identifies how Lisle is interested in the squid.  (VIII) 

The next  theme is TIME and i found this a little bit more vague to discuss. The submitted photo were two girls running through a field with a lantern. The time of the scene plays an important role in the film, because the girls are surrounded by the unknown and are all alone in the forest.

(IX) the light that Aurora holds is used to illuminate her from the shot and her make seem more selective. (X) As they run away, noises from every corner and ranging from many animals come to life. The girls look in dismay because they know very well they are not allowed to be out this late and fear is plastered on each of them. This is shown when Aurora turns around to see if their being followed. 

The next obstacle is the film is the literal theme of OBSTACLES and this is portrayed by the emotional scene in the graveyard. The light hovering over the gate illuminated the gate, and revealed that there was no way past it to get to their mother. The director uses a wide scene shot to show how small and incomparable they are to the height and distance of the the gate. (XI) The gate blends in the with the dark surrounding,meaning that like the mysterious black darkness it poses as a negative obstacle for the girls. 

One of my favorite shots is the narrow shot with the bars in the foreground and Aurora clinging tightly to it. The sadness expressed in her frown shows fear and concern for her sister (XII), nevertheless she cannot go past the gate because of the black metal rods that separate them.

The broken down plane in the cemetery demonstrates one of the many unique SETTINGS in the movie. A broken down plane is shown with broken knobs, glass panes cracked, and shrubbery growing inside. Lisle is able to find the place of her dreams and when she steps in the ship automatically comes to life.  The amazing shot of the light from the red power gauges illuminating her smile is mesmerizing. The defining of her cheekbones and her lips show that the girl is very happy and reveals how her dream of the plane

may have not anything but a dream. (XIII) The exact moment when the lights glisten, is the climax of the story. The setting begins to change, and the ultimate dream of being able to see her mother finally becomes reality. (XIV)

 MOOD and BACKSTORY are one of the final themes in the story, and this is shown through the flash forward to present day. Aurora is seen on her balcony smoking a cigarette as the city lights glow off in the distance. I find the focus on the character with the background does well to compliment the character, as it provides more depth to the shot .The lighting used creates a silhouette of half of her face, overcasting a dark tone to the story. It also makes it seem that she is hiding a story or some conflict within her. Her face speak a thousand emotions, but most contributing is her sense of longing and shame. This also reveals backstory because after this scene it shows that Aurora had never been able to overcome what she had said to her mother on the day of her death and has been living with the guilt.