Searching Skies

I saw Vivian Hua's debut short at the Seventh Art Stand, a film festival intended to raise awareness about Islamophobia, and it genuinely stood out. Social-issue films sometimes over-emphasize their message at the expense of engaging viewers emotionally and cinematically. Searching Skies works because it finds a core of universality in its subject matter, and Hua delivers the film with considerable confidence and craftsmanship.

It's Christmas time, and a well-intended couple hosts a family of Syrian immigrants for a holiday dinner. Friction occurs when the prejudices of the couple's college-age nephew Derek begin surging to the surface. Soon things come to a head with Derek and his uncle, until an unexpected incident opens the young man's eyes.

Some nuance is sacrificed to keep things concise (this is a nine-minute short film, after all), but Hua's cast really hits all the right notes, especially Tanner Gould as Derek. His character's xenophobia is frustrating, but Gould does a great job of making him a human being. Kudos also to Hua's script, which gives voice to Derek's (and by extent a fair share of the audience's) fears and concerns without turning him into a monster. And no spoilers here, but the film's final denouement really packs an emotional punch.