Wearing my other hat as a journalist I have interviewed the socially displaced, the homeless. And it is always an eye opening experience and jarring transition to go from seeing them as a random nuisance to a real person with feelings and a story. The difference between seeing someone and seeing someone.
Short drama film Egress (2014) tells the story of Elliot Bishop, a homeless man making his way through the streets of New York. He wears a canary yellow raincoat and literally stands out in a crowd but is figuratively invisible.
“I can see you. I can see all of you,” Elliot shouts to no one in particular.
The film is directed by Michael Goodin and is written by and stars Barbadian-born award winning filmmaker and writer Sean Michael Field. Field gives a powerhouse performance here, infusing the character with pathos, dignity and abrupt humour. You see a man striving for human connection in a world that would rather pretend he does not exist. And when he receives that connection it is heart warming.
The camera work varies from intimate close-ups to grand city wide shots that heighten Elliot’s isolation. The melancholy piano complements the mood but never distracts, and the lighting is spot on.
In this short film Field and Goodin make the viewer connect with a character that you barely know at a level that some films could not do in two hours. And just like everyone you see walking the streets Elliot is not just a nameless face that you pass by, but a man with a story that will shake your expectations.
Ranking – Egress gets a juicy 4/4
So have you seen Egress? What did you think of it? Feel free to comment below.
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Egress and a lot of other great Caribbean films are available for viewing at studioanansitv.