Film Review: GILTRUDE’S DWELLING (2019) (Short Film)

GILTRUDE’S DWELLING **** Canada 2019 Dir: Jeremy Lutter. 15 mins

Teenage orphan Giltrude (the excellent Kennedi Clements) lives in a house on a mountain from which she has never left. Her parents (Jesse Hutch, Priscilla Faia) go out at night on mysterious missions while reminding her that the house itself also goes “somewhere” to sleep and reiterating the dangers of the outside world, especially at night. Years later, the grown up Giltrude (Kacey Rohl) seems to be completely alone, her parents having not returned home for a long time. She comes to the aid of wounded orphan Liam Hughes, whose own parents were seemingly killed by a mysterious creature.

Jeremy Lutter’s distinctive, offbeat modern fairytale has the fascinating central concept of a teleporting house and a character who has grown up in an ever-changing, elusive landscape. It’s well designed, heartfelt and set to a beautiful original score by Michael Neilson, punctuated by the pervasive ticking of the home’s Grandfather Clock. If it leaves you feeling slightly short changed at the very end, that’s because the feeling is accompanied by a craving to see this universe expanded into feature length format.

Review by Steven West