Farewell She Goes Short Film Review

★★★

Directed by: #SophieKing

Starring: #IsabellaSpeaight, #CatWhite

Short Film Review by: Alexandra James

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Farewell She Goes is a short 18th century period drama which follows two young women who have fled their restrictive home to lay their pet to rest on a pebbled beach nearby. The topic of race is raised within this short and with it comes this sense of belonging. Actress Cat White who plays Sophia is mixed race and believes that she will never be treated the same as her cousin Charlotte played by Isabella Speaight. There is a strong connection between the two characters, however, this sense of belonging clearly creates some form of unrest within their relationship. The audience learn that Charlotte, is pregnant and is debating with her cousin as to what she should do now. A gripping short film which raises some very prominent issues which are being spoken and debated about heavily today.

What cannot be faulted with this piece is the costumes, makeup, and location. The level of detail with the outfits was fantastic, it added a vulnerability and softness to the characters and fed into the emotion of the film. The beach was secluded and with the waves crashing against the shore created a sense of foreboding. It was atmospheric and the combination of the sound of the waves and the harmonic music in the background completely set the scene for the main characters and was able to tell a story.

I think it’s interesting to have an 18th century drama speak on a subject that women are still having to fight and make changes on to this day in the 21st century. Our right to make decisions about our own body. This is an extremely powerful message to incorporate, and I applaud director Sophie King for exploring this subject. It’s a difficult topic to delve into and brings with it a lot of thought and emotion but it is something which should be spoken about openly.

This short was shot during lockdown which would have been extremely difficult however this did not hinder the performance at all. This was a moving piece, and the isolated beach really helped the film, as this drew focus to the characters interacting as well as have the audience being able to immerse themselves into the beautiful location, which was very well scouted, this was a great historical drama.