THE LONG SPRING is playing at SBIFF (Santa Barbara International Film Festival), and I had the opportunity to see an early look. Here’s my spoiler-free take:
THE LONG SPRING is an intense docu-drama style short that aims to shed light on what it feels like to go through human trafficking. While it doesn’t quite hit the emotional high notes in Alejandro González Iñárritu’s CARYNE Y ARENA, a film about illegal immigration, it does come close.
A 12-minute short, including credits, is not much time for director Olly Ginelli to build empathy for his characters. Yet he does that by thrusting the viewer directly into a vehicle, where we watch a brother and sister discuss what’s happening, whether they are safe, and what comes next.
There are no answers in THE LONG SPRING. And that’s the point. The short is more interested in having audiences feel for human life versus making a political play to say it’s wrong. And this strategic narrative approach makes it a stronger showcase to do just that.
Final Thought: THE LONG SPRING has a quiet intensity that audiences will watch one time and feel uneasy about what’s happening around the globe. The question is – what will audiences do next? Olly Ginelli is hopeful it will start the conversation, while I’m hopeful audiences might get a feature-length film that dives deeper into the subject.
THE LONG SPRING has its SBIFF premiere on Thurs 2/12 – 8:20 PM