Reviews

This is a short, charming film about a couple who are having a seemingly ordinary conversation about their plans for the evening/weekend. But in their dialog, one soon notices a sense of resignation and nostalgia for the past--a time when they used to have the energy, enthusiasm, and willingness to go out and dance, dance, dance. Beautifully filmed with different colors/scenes and distinctly visual in nature, this 2-minute film also uses swing music to juxtapose the couple's dreams and desires with the current, stagnant state of their relationship as they mundanely sit at the dining room table. This is a brilliant film by producer/director/writer Scott Eriksson whose other film credits include the short movie "No Asians... It's Just Not My Thing" (2010).

This short films succeeds, in the scope of ten minutes, in taking us on a journey through Beirut, Lebanon via the characters of Yasmine and Tarek, two young Lebanese lovers who fall in love (and out of love, and back in love...) Set to the music of the ultra hip Mashrou3 Leila song "Raksit Leila," the film offers us a haunting, beautiful and rare glimpse into the paradoxical reality of living in Beirut, with its traffic congestion and beautiful beaches, its seemingly Westernized people who nevertheless retain a sense of their own identity, etc. This is an amazingly visual short film by a young director who is destined to greatness. Part of this film's beauty is that it will appeal to Lebanese audiences, Arab audiences, and even Western audiences. If you are going to watch a movie about Beirut, and have less than 15 minutes to spare, then this film will provide you with a very original introduction to that city with its colorful characters and eternal charm.

The issue of discrimination within the gay community has never been so eloquently addressed as through this short movie which aims at exposing the prejudices that exist within the minds of certain social grouped who, ironically , have themselves been the victims of discrimination. This film is beautifully shot and the acting and plot are excellent. It also contains a surprise twist at the end which will keep audiences talking long after the movie is finished. I strongly recommend this film to anyone who is interested in the plight of marginalized sexualities as well as the way such a discourse intersects with issues related to race, sexuality, and gender.