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★★★★
Directed by: Evan Bergman
Written by: Hamza Khan
Starring: Lohrasp Kansara, Maria Castillo
What goes through a person's mind while they are literally trying to save the life of a loved one?
This tragic story stars Lohrasp Kansara and Maria Castillo as a couple who appear to be happy together. Abraham (Kansara) is a successful businessman and Libby (Castillo) is a teacher with ambitions. However he returns home one day to find her lying on the floor. She has taken an overdose of pills. As he frantically tries to revive her, he begins to see hallucinations of himself as a third person. The hallucination represents his conscience and he explains to the real him that this is all his fault.
The main focus is Abraham holding Libby in his arms, trying to save her life and comprehend why she decided to take such an action. A series of flashbacks provides answers regarding the couple's past happiness and how later they began having differences and he was ignoring her when she was feeling unwell and sad. His conscience tells Abraham that it was his indifference towards her that led to the present situation.
The performances are very good. Kansara is very convincing as an optimistic man who is determined to succeed. Unfortunately he is also ignorant and does not seem to care about other people's problems. However is clear that he deeply cares about his girlfriend, as he cuddles her and weeps. Castillo is equally impressive as a well-meaning and intelligent person, who sees things that her boyfriend does not.
One must not overlook the beautiful piano music, a great contribution by Yasmine Jhabvala.
Day Zero is a sad film and it is rather distressing watching Libby as she slips away in Abraham's arms. But it is with this scene that the viewer sees the devastating consequences of ignorance.
It is must be acknowledged that the film ends with a message asking people to seek help if they are experiencing mental and/or substance use disorders. With this in mind, Day Zero can be perceived as a warning that if one has such issues then they should never go through it alone and the people around them must reach out to them.
Watch the full movie below:
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