Stranded

I was privileged to see this at LA Film Festival yesterday and was really impressed. It's both an exploration of how a family survives and recovers in the wake of a loss, and how a teen who's got no choice but to make her own decisions gains her own sensibilities and independence as a human being. Dealing with an apathetic father who appears to have given up and a hostile sister who's not mature enough to be without guidance, she finds a way to come to terms with the family tragedy and her own sense of loss, and finds her strength and, in doing so, provides a focus for healing. The director's creativity was constrained by the industry to produce a film of 50 minutes and did a remarkable job of exploring the circumstances and personalities involved with surprising depth. All the actors did a great job of portraying their characters; they were believable and it was possible to be empathetic even if they weren't the most likable groups of people you could meet. I rated it a 5 out of 5 in the audience survey and look forward to seeing it again.