A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE | Omeleto
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A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE | Omeleto
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A woman is lost.
Mya is a dishwasher who works in the kitchen of a fine restaurant, isolated by the sinks and by her own difficulty understanding the language of her adopted country. One night after her shift, she helps a homeless man, despite the fact that she has little herself.
But when she has a miscommunication with the police, the situation becomes tense, exacerbated by her inability to communicate under stress and the officers' unwillingness to fully understand what's going on.
Directed and written by Cesar Velasco, this intriguing and emotionally piercing short drama has a bold premise. Its dialogue is in an entirely fictional language that is never meant to be understood; even the signs are in this made-up language. But the film's lucid directing, deft camerawork and rich performances still immerse us in the experience of language barriers, often navigated by immigrants, foreigners and the proverbial stranger in a strange place. In doing so, we understand the helpless invisibility and social peril of being unable to communicate and be understood.
We open with a fluid, swooping long take that brings us deep into a bustling restaurant at the height of dinner service, with people talking, laughing and eating. Though we don't know the language and see no subtitles to translate the ambient noise, we feel the belonging, joy and togetherness of the restaurant's community. But then the shot lands on Mya, washing dishes and listening to music on her headphones, set apart from the warmth and conviviality of the main restaurant. That physical and social separation is vividly rendered in the opening shot, and explored in the events following, from Mya's kind gesture towards a homeless man to the police who misunderstand and misinterpret her during a confusing, tense encounter, setting her on a journey of escape and trying to find safety.
That odyssey expands and contracts from the fast-paced, almost thriller-like action to a more emotionally intimate, lyrical style that captures Mya's loneliness. Throughout, we feel her confusion, isolation and fear, brought to life by actor Razan Nassar's lovely, affecting performance as Mya, which grounds us through a number of turns and events, some of which are frightful and tense. Mya is scared, alone and without help or resources, evoking the experiences of struggling immigrants everywhere. But the film is ultimately a heart-opening, hopeful one, showing that no matter what the language, kindness and compassion need no words to be given or received.
Intelligent, empathetic and beautifully crafted, A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE was inspired by the writer-director's own experience, having not learned English until his teenage years. It's a powerful evocation of how language barriers have both immediate, concrete effects on our lives and on our psyches, compounded by the film's refusal to allow us full understanding of its dialogue. Instead, we must pay close attention to expression, gesture and feeling. And like Mya, we might find those who look beyond simple stereotypes and ideas to the full, dimensional human being underneath.
A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Courtesy of Cesar Velasco at https://miyotlproductions.com.
Mya is a dishwasher who works in the kitchen of a fine restaurant, isolated by the sinks and by her own difficulty understanding the language of her adopted country. One night after her shift, she helps a homeless man, despite the fact that she has little herself.
But when she has a miscommunication with the police, the situation becomes tense, exacerbated by her inability to communicate under stress and the officers' unwillingness to fully understand what's going on.
Directed and written by Cesar Velasco, this intriguing and emotionally piercing short drama has a bold premise. Its dialogue is in an entirely fictional language that is never meant to be understood; even the signs are in this made-up language. But the film's lucid directing, deft camerawork and rich performances still immerse us in the experience of language barriers, often navigated by immigrants, foreigners and the proverbial stranger in a strange place. In doing so, we understand the helpless invisibility and social peril of being unable to communicate and be understood.
We open with a fluid, swooping long take that brings us deep into a bustling restaurant at the height of dinner service, with people talking, laughing and eating. Though we don't know the language and see no subtitles to translate the ambient noise, we feel the belonging, joy and togetherness of the restaurant's community. But then the shot lands on Mya, washing dishes and listening to music on her headphones, set apart from the warmth and conviviality of the main restaurant. That physical and social separation is vividly rendered in the opening shot, and explored in the events following, from Mya's kind gesture towards a homeless man to the police who misunderstand and misinterpret her during a confusing, tense encounter, setting her on a journey of escape and trying to find safety.
That odyssey expands and contracts from the fast-paced, almost thriller-like action to a more emotionally intimate, lyrical style that captures Mya's loneliness. Throughout, we feel her confusion, isolation and fear, brought to life by actor Razan Nassar's lovely, affecting performance as Mya, which grounds us through a number of turns and events, some of which are frightful and tense. Mya is scared, alone and without help or resources, evoking the experiences of struggling immigrants everywhere. But the film is ultimately a heart-opening, hopeful one, showing that no matter what the language, kindness and compassion need no words to be given or received.
Intelligent, empathetic and beautifully crafted, A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE was inspired by the writer-director's own experience, having not learned English until his teenage years. It's a powerful evocation of how language barriers have both immediate, concrete effects on our lives and on our psyches, compounded by the film's refusal to allow us full understanding of its dialogue. Instead, we must pay close attention to expression, gesture and feeling. And like Mya, we might find those who look beyond simple stereotypes and ideas to the full, dimensional human being underneath.
A FILM IN ANOTHER LANGUAGE. Courtesy of Cesar Velasco at https://miyotlproductions.com.
