LATCHED **** Canada 2017 Dir: Justin Harding, Rob Brunner 17 mins
A beautifully shot labour of love for writer / co-director Justin Harding, who cast his wife (Alana Elmer) in the lead role of a dedicated choreographer and their 14 month old son (Bowen Harding) as the toddler she’s trying to wean off breast milk. On a back-to-nature retreat to recharge her creative battery, her discovery of a dead fairy – initially mistaken for a bat – and some spilt milk lead to a surprising denouement. An oddity from Harding’s “Bokeh Collective” entertainment company, this atmospheric piece gains production value from its stunning location work – and indeed its string-based original score. Elmer is excellent in the lead and the film takes a series of unexpected turns that encompass a good old-school man-in-a-suit “monster” and a perversely touching climactic union. It bodes well for future projects from the Collective.
Review by Steven West