UK-based independent production company, Phoenix Works Films, graces our screens with their new short film The Ashes You Leave Behind. Starring Ruth Lass and Jay Rincon as Gwyn and Paul as separated partners brought together again when tragedy strikes. We emerge into the narrative post-tragedy, in the wake of the utter horror that is suffering the death of a child. Although it is the day of their daughter’s funeral, Paul brings the divorce papers with him, set on moving forwards to a new life beyond this pain. Gwyn feels the sting of this insensitivity and turbulent emotions among a sea of grief are triggered.
“Is it possible for the soul to feel tired”, asks Gwyn. Contained within this question is a mirrored hallway reflecting innumerable emotions in unmeasurable depths. Sadness, grief, anger, bitterness, resentment and regret weave their way through Gwyn’s soul, weighing it down. Her husband shares these emotions, especially regarding the death of their daughter. But with divorce on the horizon, Gwyn cannot derive any comfort from this shared pain. Her shoulder to cry on now carries the head of someone new.
While the pair undoubtedly feel anger, towards each other, themselves, and the unfair death of their daughter, they also share a great deal of affection for one another. The fingerprints of love still impressed upon each other’s souls. The Ashes You Leave Behind does an excellent job of capturing what exists after marriage, after love. Writer and director Victor De Almeida drags his fingers through the ashes left being after love burns down, pulling out glittering fragments of what once was alongside the shattered remains of hope and trust. Victor De Almeida’s writing lives and breathes alone, but the performances of Ruth Lass and Jay Rincon infuse it with a stunning viscerality.
The construction of the film is simply beautiful. While the choice to use black and white with a 4:3 aspect ratio often risks becoming a gimmick, here the combination succeeds in giving the film a timeless look. The lack of colour on-screen focuses the mind on the colour of the words. The narrower aspect ratio draws attention more directly to the subject of each carefully framed shot. Cinematographer Erdvilas Petras Abukevicius is a master at his craft. Each shot feels purposeful, with symmetry often being utilized to create visual harmony. Victor De Almeida’s words combined with Erdvilas Petras Abukevicius’ visuals is true art, simple and beautiful.
Painful, captivating, and a pleasure to experience. The performances of both Ruth Lass and Jay Rincon are so engaging, you barely want to pause to take breath. They move between anger and despair, comforting nostalgia and cold emotional distance. Their emotions become a ballet, soundtracked by the wonderful scoring of Aleix Losa.
An all-round intelligently executed and emotionally involved film!