Moving On [Nyasha Hatendi, USA, 2019]

A well-made and stylish short film, Moving On comes to us from director Nyasha Hatendi. Some films exist primarily to examine or evoke a specific feeling or emotion. In the case of Moving On it is the grief of losing a loved one.

The film’s plot concerns a man named Steve (played by Elvis Nolansco) waiting in a diner, alone with his grief after his father’s funeral. Eventually, a priest who has a bombshell to drop joins him. Steve’s grief is primarily portrayed by the ambient noise of the diner – the music, the TV, coughing from another customer) becoming oppressive and overbearing, the slightest noise exacerbating his grief.

Cinematographer Jason Oldak deserves praise. The cinematography is fantastic, immediately establishing how disconnected Steve feels from the world, as well as the dinginess but familiarity of the diner. Hatendi’s experience in the film industry is also evident in the quality of the direction. The camera often lingers on close-ups of the actors to allow them to really dig into what the characters are feeling. Nolansco is a great anchor for the film as Steve and Marianne Jean Baptiste and Chet Anekwe both give strong support in small but memorable roles.

Moving On has the air of a story that is both very personal and at the same time very relatable, as most of us have lost someone important to us. It is a visually memorable and emotionally resonate film that is sure to stick with the viewer for quite some time.

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'Moving On' was a film in consideration for Short Focus Film Festival 2019.