Heron

Writer-director Samuel W Ross blends the essence of contemporary dance, and emotions in the way of his storytelling showcasing his growth and versatility, handling the subject matter with utmost softness as well as care, but also experimenting with it to make it interesting for the viewers therefore, increasing the audience engagement with the content. Leah Eddleston, Rachel Hassett, and Lucy Riscardo Jones are key cast members who help realistically portray emotions transcending the same to the viewers when they watch the movie.

After a failed attempt to secure a position in a dance exhibition, a young dancer becomes infatuated with redeeming herself after dealing with a string of rejections. An unexpected audition provides an unusual opportunity to be the understudy for-The Heron.

Heron begins with a black screen along with a mysterious background sound that keeps playing during the audition in a hall, adding the element of mystery to the narrative. The combination of colours like white, black, and grey helps communicate the deep-seated sadness, distress, isolation, and emptiness felt by the female protagonist Morgan Stokes adding the multiple layers as well as the depth to her character arc and the storyline. The set design, colour pallet, camera angles, lighting, sound, dialogue, choreography, costume, hair, makeup, and props have been kept natural to complement and elevate the topic of the short film.

In terms of performance, Leah Eddleston plays Morgan Stokes who is passionate about dancing and wants to pursue it as a career choice, but is not getting any support from her loved ones. Eddleston depicts the ups and downs in addition to the emotional turmoil she faces with utmost conviction that the viewers become her cheerleaders through the running time of the film.

Lucy Riscardo Jones plays the role of a trained dancer is an absolute delight to watch. The dance movements are beautifully done. The screen time for Jone’s character is limited but she manages to make a mark on the audience’s mind. The young actress as a trained dancer illustrates various qualities that inspire us and provides an opportunity to learn from her.

Rachel Hassett plays the role of Madam, who judges various auditions to choose the best participants for dance exhibitions. Hassett showcases the characteristics of an ideal mentor. Rachel Hassett utilises body-language, voice modulation, facial expressions, and eyes to portray the various layers in her character arc.

Heron talks about realising one’s potential, self-worth, expressing self-love, and dedicating the hard work towards what one likes so that one can have the freedom to dream big and ultimately achieve success. The short film reiterates that inculcating the feeling of competition is very good to have when one wants to improve their performance, but if it starts affecting the mental and physical well-being, it proves to be bad for the person and the people around them. The cinematic piece highlights the need for having the right guidance in the field one is interested in so that the teacher can bring about the best version, helping one to get rid of those well-wishers in disguise that are secretly ready to discourage at every step of the way.