It's never easy for a short film to succeed, as with the very name of the format suggests it's hard to get a message across or make an impact with but a short time but showcasing it can well and truly be done with the right elements combining into one, Graham Parkes 13 minute short Where You Are is lovely little gem well worth your time.
Shown around the world at prestigious festivals such as South by Southwest, the Nashville Film Festival and the Capalbio International Film Festival in Italy, Parkes beautifully shot short that offers up a different take on both your average game of hide and seek and the way in which life quickly takes us on its journey, Where You Are has both heart and soul as Sarah Burns Jen searches for her son James.
The story sounds slight but Parkes and his impressive crew both in front of and behind the camera commit themselves to the story as the camera barely seems to take a pause as it follows Jen's search (Scorsese would be proud) and while its likely to make you laugh on more than one occasion Where You Are will likely sneak up on you as well with its carefully judged moments of emotional resonance that take place around its quirky central story and goings-on.
For all those seeking an original and fresh use of filmmaking imagination Where You Are has it, even more so than many of its feature length counterparts and is hopefully a foundation for Parkes to grow as a filmmaker into the future.
4 stacked sandwiches out of 5
