Review and critique at least one short film production

The Importance of Skin, Thea Gajic, England, 2017.

The Importance of Skin is a live action drama that follows Thea Gajic’s first extremely successful short film, RUN, and once again centres around South London, this time looking at a happy young couple in a tight knit Brixton-based community as they are faced with a devastating loss.

The central theme of Gajic’s short film is tragedy, and how its affects ripple out within a community to reach all those who surround the directly affected. The Importance of Skin also looks at the way we react when faced with shocking trauma, and how intrusive community support, even from those closest to us, can feel in the immediate aftermath.

Diegetic sound dominates within this film, and the lack of prolonged use of music creates more space for tension to build and intimate moments between characters to play out. Sound effects are used within the most tense beats of the short to signify upcoming danger and pain for the characters, and an excerpt from a rap song is used when Fabe, the father character, is introduced, perhaps suggesting his personal taste in music and demonstrating another layer to his character. Gajic does, however, include excepts from a poem that was specifically written for this film and ties in with the central metaphor and theme. The poem is read out at the start and the end of the film, and it becomes clear in the latter reading of it that it was written by the central character, Cyra, to her lost child; the use of poetry is extremely effective in connecting the pain of two parents, and succinctly completes the narrative without including too much exposition or overemphasising the driving theme of loss. Additionally, within the middle of the film, a mother and friend to the couple on the estate also delivers a poem to both Cyra and her partner, Fabe, separately in a touching moment that demonstrates the beauty of the closeness and support within a working class community.

All of The Importance of Skin’s camera work is handheld, either simply handheld on a specific shot, panning or follow the characters. The flowing movement of the characters places the audience right alongside the characters, as if they are another member of the community, experiencing the events of the film alongside the rest of the characters. The narrative follows a clear journey for both characters, which run parallel for the most of the film and finally meet at the climax, and most devastating moment of the film, so the use of following shots works well with the structure of this film.

The editing of this film is subtle, and enables the viewer to observe the story and take in the key themes; no complex transitions or title cards are required, “The Importance of Skin” is simply typed in white across a black screen. This minimalism is effective, and I think any showier editing would have simply taken away from the message of the film. In terms of the pace, The Importance of Skin is relatively fast paced, quickly switching between the journeys of both characters, and this enables us to see how they are aligned together as a couple.

Central to Gajic’s story is the location – she subverts stereotypes of gritty, working class South London to present a much sweeter, more intimate look at the strength and love of the communities within. Gajic grew up in this community for 15 years, and many of the locations were her own haunts when living there, and her own comfortability and love for these shops, parks, and the people who work and hang out there shines through in this film.

Loss is a universal tale, and it would be difficult to place The Importance of Skin in a box with one specific audience; it appeals to anyone who has known loss such as this – either directly or through other loved ones -, anyone who has ever lived in communities such as the one depicted, and, perhaps, more importantly, anyone who hasn’t. Gajic’s story calls for empathy like no other, and when I had finished it, I did feel a profound sense of grief for the characters – how could you not when Cyra and Fabe’s pain was so painstakingly and truthfully portrayed? I would recommend this film to everyone and anyone, I think the variety of characters within the community enables anyone of any age to relate in some form, and I think this film tells in important story in a heart rendering yet sensitive way.