SDFF Short Review: Terrebonne
by Dave Minkus
Score: 3/4
director: Jeremy Craig
Short films can be
quite difficult to pull off. At a runningtime usually under 20 minutes,the film has to get to the storytelling immediately, get you invested in the characters quickly and tell a story leaving you satisfied before the credits roll. This is the first short film I’m covering for the 2011 Starz Denver Film Festival.
Terrebonne is the story of a college student (Dean J. West) visiting a young boy named Fry (Cullen Chaffin) who claims to have seen an incredibly rare ivory-billed woodpecker. The boy’s sister, Jean (Jessica Heap) decides to go with them into the bayou to find where the boy saw it. While on the trip, Jean’s embarrassing past comes to light. The films ends at a nice point that leaves you satisfied, while still wanting more.
Framed against the backdrop of Louisiana’s eroding coastline, Jeremy Craig has put together a wonderful short film exploring the family dynamic between a sister with a past and her younger brother. Heap and Chaffin’s chemistry lends to an honest relationship ranging from sibling rivalry to companionship in a beautiful way that feels completely natural.
Craig’s expert cinematography make sure that the bayou itself is also a star in this film, and deservedly so. The bayou of Louisiana offers sights that you can’t see anywhere else. Craig does them all justice by capturing the beauty of this overlooked part of the country.
Terrebonne is most definitely worth checking out if you get a chance. Apparently, Craig is working on a feature length version of this short, and I for one frankly can’t wait to see it. Honestly, he shows himself to be a filmmaker to keep an eye on.
Terrebonne is showing as part of the First Look Domestic 1 Shorts program. Tickets can be purchased at the SDFF website.
