Echo by Lewis Arnold

Echo is a short film about grief and the way people cope with its effects. In the film Caroline, a teenage school girl, is seen playing out the same con at three separate points. Using the previous experience of her fathers passing in a bike accident, she prays on the sympathy of the public for money for taxi rides which she then uses to buy cigarettes. However, the more she repeats the con, she tries to lessen it's emotional impact on her as an echo lessens in noise. As the film continues we begin to view the con from a more subjective point of view, seeing that it is more of a form of self-harm for her, descending her further and further into sadness and loneliness.


The film is in the style of social realism, with naturalistic acting and set, literally shot in the street with non-acting civilians. In a way it is also a coming of age drama, and a character study of Caroline and the pain she suffers. We see her self-harm through her use of the lighter, which she permanently grates her thumb across. This reflects her emotional harm. She is separated from her family, unable to emotionally connect with them, not seeing any of them grieve as she does. This stereotype is played against as we see it only comes form her trauma rather than her just being a typical 'moody teen'.


Caroline is also quite a relatable main character for the audience to connect with, as she is flawed and morally ambiguous just as all people are. We can relate to her struggles even if we would never do as she does, which is why the film manages to slowly become more and more subjective as it progresses.


This is also achieved through technical aspects. The camera work initially is very distant, allowing us to simply observe her performance. We also sense there is something off about her, almost as if she is acting. The director deliberately picked takes that conveyed this, to place the question in the audiences mind. The initial shot is simply a distant view of moving pedestrians, our protagonist is not seen creating an even more objective atmosphere. The sound design is mostly naturalistic, using no music but the whole film has a constant rumble throughout of the city and it's ceaseless noise. We see the signs of a missing person in their household, such as an untouched bike (presumably her Dad's) in the garage. The shots often repeat themselves, along with motifs. Lighters, smoking and fire resonate throughout as well as certain shot repetitions (her and her brother with their heads against the window in defeat). The camerawork is often static, with monochrome lighting and a generally miserable feel to the film, reflecting the modern world. 
The film welcomes a lot of ambiguity, allowing the audience to make their own decisions on how Caroline has changed, if at all, and what the final call means. Has her brother been in an accident just as her father was? Is it just another con? Is it a flashback to the original call? That's for you to decide.


I think the in depth character study and the elements of environmental storytelling are definitely things I would like to use in my own short film, as well as a sense of realism and complex characters.