The Lunch Date

This is an amazing must see short film by what I consider a brilliant screenwriter/director. I first viewed "The Lunch Date" while taking a cross cultural counseling class during my graduate program, and was simply amazed at the message that was conveyed in a matter of ten minutes. This is of course coming from a person who does not typically take the time to appreciate the true aesthetics of film making.

I love the way the story is told with minimal dialog between characters because it challenges first time viewers to decipher the plot and understand what message is being shared. The location setting, an underground subway station/shopping plaza provided me with a sense of nostalgia as I was raised in a city that had similar surroundings. The choppiness of the scenes and usage of black and white film also allowed me to appreciate the art of good film making. I had never really stopped to pinpoint what it takes to tell a story while being conscious of production techniques that assist the viewer to comprehend a message more effectively.

I would love to find this DVD Short for sale some where. If anyone is aware of where to find it, please direct me to a URL address. I work in the field of College Student Affairs, and would love to use this piece in one of my diversity training workshops.

Adam Davidson's Academy Award-winning short is about a rich woman who misses a train and then has an awkward experience in an eatery. "The Lunch Date" isn't anything profound yet manages to be thought-provoking. It forces you to ask what you would do in this situation. Don't expect the short to result in a life-changing experience. As far as I can tell, it's about making you confront your privilege and prejudices.

Worth seeing.

This 10 minute short is nearly perfect film-making. It should be mandatory viewing in film classes everywhere.

"The Lunch Date" tells a complete and complex story, makes you feel keenly for the two central characters, has complications, twists, reversals and a wonderful resolution. It never strays from context and reality and is utterly accessible.

And it's all done with virtually no dialog.

I would love to be able to own and look at this film from time to time when I'm trying to convince myself -- against all available evidence -- that really GOOD movies can be made small and simply.

I hope that "The Lunch Date" will be made available in either DVD or video cassette very soon.

Larry Santoro Larry@LarrySantoro.com

"The Lunch Date" is a short film. An elderly woman walking fast at a terminal bumps into a black man, her belongings scattered on the floor. He tries to pick them up, but she refuses. When she reaches the platform, the train she was supposed to take has just left. When she turns back, she also notices that her handbag is missing. She kills time in a cafeteria and sits down to eat a salad. She notices that she has no cutlery, so she takes a fork from the counter. When she returns to her seat, she sees a black man eating the salad. I thought the film was satirising society at the time. This film implies the stereotype that people have.

This film is interesting, so I recommend it.

The story is, a woman who misses the train eats lunch in a cafe. She buys salad. And she gets up from her seat to go take a fork. When she returns, there is a man eating her salad. She is puzzled. But she is so irritated that her salad is being eaten that she begins to eat it with the man. Then the man looks somewhat happy and buys coffee for two. The woman says thank you, leaves the cafe, and goes to the station. However, when the woman realizes she has forgotten something, she returns. That's where she realizes the truth.

This film has very little dialogue. But I understand the story. It's an amusing experience when you're done looking at it.

So you should see it once.