A stylistic and artistic fusion directed by Jamie Lazan, Returning Home is a project created by The Human Arts Collective. The collective “embraces creative expression, storytelling, holistic healing and purpose as a means to bring us home to ourselves and to one another.” Through a “multidisciplinary hub of creative connection”, they seek a “more inspired and empowered world.”
The film is rooted within the concept of coming of age, but the four stories that unfold complicate, dissect and darken the theme. This results in a more raw and empowered look into the anxieties that plague us as we try to find our way through life. The four individual stories were filmed separately, but the story, script and editing pulls them all together in a cohesive whole. Despite never appearing in the same frame, a kind of unity is created right from the beginning of the film as the four actors mirror each other’s movements in an almost contemporary dance style. The visual lyricism translates into poetical lyricism with spoken word poetry acting as a monologue from our first character, Nickel (Nick Freedson).
The filmic world is suffused with surrealism that symbolically and metaphorically relates to the struggles of the four characters. Nickel finds himself trapped under water, searching endlessly. His thoughts race, but the stylised delivery of his monologue combined with the underwater filming makes this an ethereal experience. His body appears to move in slow motion at times, others convey a sense of emergency. All the while the light glitters though the pool.
In contrast to this, we jump to Apollonia (Mary Kate Magee) who gives us a more narrative centred segment. She is frustrated with her mother and is striving towards independence. She sets off for a walk in the woods to prove she is capable. The surrealist elements follow through once more, however, as Apollonia talks to animated birds, expressing her frustrations. She comes across a burning house.
This cleverly links to our next character, Suli (Nneka Damali) who is haunted by terrors of fire and smoke. Panic attacks and voices invade her mental space, making every moment excruciating. Following this is perhaps the most inventive section, Lucinda (Kayci Rose). Her narrative takes place in a world where computer games and reality are blended. The layering of gaming icons over live action footage is extremely inventive and visually engaging. The four stories contain themes of courage vs fear, anxiety, self-hood, relationships, independence and much more. Because of the depth of symbolism and the fusion of different art forms, you can read many themes and ideas into the narrative. While it is true that no one person will engage with any film in the same way, Returning Home actively encourages this.
The thread that ties the individual narratives together is the metaphor of a train journey. The Conductor (S. Todd Townsend), who also speaks in impressive poetry, attempts to keep the four young people on track and moving forward. His mission is a success as a series of revelations delivered by alternate versions of the characters’ selves lead them to comfort or fresh perspectives on their situations. The body of Townsend’s performance is voiceover which he delivers with light and shade, managing to create the personality of a character we barely see. He is both kind, but firm; uplifting, but realistic. He keeps the course of the film steady, as a good conductor does.
All four artists deliver their roles with impressive confidence. Nick Freedson as Nickel is wonderfully lyrical, delivering spoken word poetry with great impact. Mary Kate Magee as Apollonia captures the struggle of wanting to be independent but feeling as though you need to push others away to achieve this. Nneka Damali as Suli portrays the struggle with our inner thoughts and the voice in our head that often tells lies. Suli’s struggle was particularly harrowing due to Damali’s nuanced performance which added a painful reality to the film. Kayci Rose as Lucinda is a particularly engaging performance, drawing you in to both the real and surreal world of Lucinda with equal measure.
Bringing all of these elements together is no small task, but director Jamie Lazan accomplishes this. Returning Home is a glowing example of the work of The Human Arts Collective and I hope it inspires more people to take part in their vision.