Re-displacement (2020)


Director:
Lewis Coates
Running Time: 14 Minutes
Starring: Nico Mirallegro, Nathalie Cox, Mariah Louca, Rosie Gray

For the past number of years, Dust have been building up their content across the internet. From feature films to short films, their intention has been to depicy thought-provoking visions of the future, and Re-displacement carries on that ethos. Leo (Nico Mirallegro) has come to see Doctor Michelle (Nathalie Cox), a therapist that can help guide him through forgotten memories. As he goes under, Leo begins to question whether the process can actually be trusted.

It's clear something is troubling Leo, but he isn't sure what. He wishes to understand what's the source of his trauma, to make sense of what caused him so much pain, and we sympathise with these feelings he goes through. This is thanks to Nico Mirallegro's portrayal, capturing the vulnerability of his character, and his discomfort at looking through these fractured memories, to try and unlock the identity of whatever haunts him. Guiding him is Doctor Michelle, whose professionalism oozes out of each word uttered, and Nathalie Cox does good work in the role.

With each passing minute, the search for answers grows all the more, but as we delve deeper into the memories, it becomes a bit much for Leo to handle. Between the striking imagery and the haunting score, it all feels like an otherworldly dream that's inescapable, but it may not have to stay that way. As the end grows near, more questions are thrown up, and it can feel like a bit out of the blue, but that doesn't discourage the end result.

What writer and director Lewis Coates has done, is encapsulate what makes the genre succeed; tell a story that's so relatable and human, through the use of technology which feels so alien and fantastical. This leaves us with a story about not dwelling on the past we cannot change, but focusing on the future we can rightly shape, a decision that can only be made by our own choosing.

Lewis Coates' Re-displacement is available to watch on YouTube. If you want to check out many other shorts released by Dust, they can be found at their website, and on their YouTube channel.


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