Already holding titles like ‘Best UK Short’ (Raindance Film Festival), ‘Best Short Drama (Galway Film Fleadh) and nominated for a Student Academy Award (Best Foreign Film 2014), NORTH (2014) is the short film to look out for.
Directed by Phil Sheerin, during his time at the National Film and Television School, and starring Barry Keoghan, NORTH is an evocative look at farm boy Aaron’s struggle to come to terms with his mother’s terminal illness and her bold decision to let go. We experience the extremity of Aaron’s physical and emotional isolation, reinforced by Sheerin’s use of tight shots and claustrophobic framing, as well as his battle with feelings of powerlessness and his submersion in anticipatory grief.
There is a raw humanness captured through the powerful naturalistic acting of the cast that gives the film a grounded authenticity. These compelling performances help to cement a gritty realism that is essential to the narrative.
What is particularly interesting are the old school pockmarks that pop up now and then, just as the cinema of old, suggesting that NORTHÂ was shot on physical film. There is a particular charm to this visual style, as it is not as clean as the digital filmmaking that modern audiences are used to, and it gives the film a sombre warmer aesthetic.
The writing style is beautifully simple and effective. In the twenty minutes that we share with him, we become very compassionate towards Aaron and the complexity of his situation and state of mind.
Sheerin and his cast successfully capture the pain and frustration that comes with such a difficult situation and the unfortunately necessary solution. Aaron naturally has trouble letting go and he represents the feelings of loss we will all inevitably face.Â
NORTHÂ is a superbly well-directed film and is a must watch if you get the chance.
