As a supporter of independent film, I try to make the effort to attend some of the BIFA and BAFTA qualifying festivals around the country each year, to catch some of the emerging talent in the country. I recently found myself in Newcastle, and decided that I should pop across to the Sunderland Shorts Film Festival. In short, I was absolutely blown away with the shorts I was fortunate enough to watch. Whispers of Freedom being the standout.
On Friday 16th May, I booked to watch the "Drama Screenings 1" bloc, and was not disappointed. Every single film was strong, but Whispers of Freedom was incredibly impressive. What the team behind the project has managed to pull off on a limited budget (something a fellow audience member enquired about and commented on during the post-screening Q&A) is absolutely astounding.
The film does a fantastic job in transporting you back, east of the Iron Curtain to the former East Berlin. To a time and place that one can no longer visit. The production design is superb, but moreover the acting was brutally realistic. In particular, Cameron Ashplant (as Chris Gueffroy) and Wendy Makkena (as Karin Gueffroy) were standout. Without spoiling too much, the final farewell was crushing. The way Makkena gestures as if to beckon Chris back, just as he decides to make the perilous escape, only added to the sense of upset. A beautiful moment.
I watched the film on Friday, it's now the following Wednesday and I cannot stop thinking about it. I implore anyone who has the chance to watch this film, to do so. It's paced beautifully, and tells a lengthy true story in a very compact amount of time.
Congratulations to all the cast and crew.
