Fleeting is the short film directed by award-winning Louisa Connolly-Burnham. It is a moving short on the tension surrounding the Repeal the Eighth movement in 2018.
The title Fleeting is an intriguing choice. It could be a comment on the moment in time, the transitory period or the way things passed.
The short has fantastic empathy and educational value. I think it’s wonderful that writer and actress Lisa O’Connor sought to examine her relationship with her father after he voted against overturning the abortion ban. Through scriptwriting, she aims to understand how his differing opinions might have formed. It’s a profound methodology.
To reach profundity, the short uses a scenario many know far too well. An interaction with an elderly loved one who, out of nowhere, voices their less-than-favourable beliefs. The set-up goes as follows: Saoirse has flown from London to vote for the amendment, something many people with Irish nationality did at the time. She and her father are getting a pint or three and watching a replay of the weekend before’s football game.
The short captures perfectly how conversations can ebb from screaming with laughter and reminiscing to pleading not to hear another word on a matter. Or, in a worse series of events, ending up in an unwinnable screaming match.
Outside of the tumultuous mixed feelings of familial love and disagreement, there is the go-between of the pub’s bartender. He interacts with both characters, but each comes away with a different impression. Saoirse thinks he’s nice enough; her father thinks he’s a ‘gobshite’. Saoirse doesn’t know that her father forms this impression because the bartender won’t give an opinion on the referendum, on account of not having a womb. The stranger’s impression is an excellent device that seamlessly fits into the practically one-setting narrative.
The short also examines Irish culture in conjunction with generational differences. Particularly rural Ireland. The loom of the church over belief, the lack of progression that leaves many systems outdated, but also an intriguing look at the way class is examined overseas. Honestly, a lot of points that are great to chew on.
O’Connor and Connolly-Burnham hit all the marks necessary for the feminist message to land, and it is great filmmaking. They walk the line between empathy and justice. Ultimately, the strength of the belief in women’s bodily autonomy still prevails throughout.
Altogether, it’s an artful film that is deeply educational, and it cuts right to the marrow of the issue in a format that’s accessible and clear. Definitely worth a watch.
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