Refraction

Refraction is the change in direction of a wave passing from one medium to another. Really clever title here by team Tinker Tailor as a woman contemplated how we only have 12 years to turn the planet around, but also contemplated how her own world was turned around by not loving as a teenager and then the pandemic coming.

First of all, this was the sort of film that the stock footage rule was designed for. It was kind of incredible to see you re-purpose that Climate Change March footage from 2019 to reflectively show anger and passion from a teenager who cared, and contrast it with the demure mature woman who narrated the film having lived an adult life.

Editing here was really well done, with the push and pull effect of the 2 timelines giving the film a heartbeat as our narrator contemplated the wave of cultural zeitgest towards doing something about our planet under attack through global warming, through to the refraction of attitudes once the pandemic hit.

These are big, serious, crucial topics and conversations to be had. You were at the top of your game in terms of craft putting this together, but just personally I felt it missed a key element of the plot developing through the film. Yes meditative and beautiful for the most part, but we were quite simply told what had happened to the planet, and what opportunitie she had missed.
I just needed more to have connected with the character. Just being told what happened wasn't enough for me, I needed to see that consequence they described visually and clearly. Having said that I feel that the table in the older woman's loft potentially held these missing pieces, so might need to watch again at some point in case I missed anything.

Last thing...antihero? Well the climate change marcher was a hero. Reluctant hero? Well the climate change marcher was anything but reluctant. Unlikely hero? I thought the teenage footage was of the school march? I guess that kind of fits if we say we didn't expect the schools to march. But to me that's a big stretch on the character requirement hence the low elements grade from me sorry.

Story: 3/5
Technical: 4/5
Elements: 2/5
Overall: 3/5

Theres so much to love about this film. The production value is exceptional, super smooth transitioning between story teller and her past. The images in the past are stunning.
I was a little confused with the sci-fi location and the use of fake background behind the story teller. Seemed at odds with the story that was told.
That said, I really thought this would take out the regions top award. Hopefully we'll see it repping the region in the finals- fingers crossed:) Great work.