SXSW 2022 | SHORT FILM REVIEW: "Everything Will Be All Right" - So They Say
9/12 ForReel Score | 4/5 Stars
March 2020. Just as it seemed everyone was finally adjusting to the new year, everything changed. Time had appeared to stop, but before all of that, there was a gradual stillness. The idea of a viral pandemic shutting down the world and killing millions was just a rumor, maybe even considered an irrational fear. Everything Will Be All Right encapsulates the moments leading up to the shutdown, as ignorance dwindled and feelings of an impending doom rolled in.
Writer and director Farhad Pakdel tells the story of Leila (Nahéma Ricci), a drama teacher in Montreal, and just how quickly Covid tainted her life. Her father contracts the virus and is hospitalized in the ICU, causing Leila to battle with the decision of returning home to be with her family or putting herself first. Over the course of the short film’s 16 minute runtime, Pakdel is able to depict a poignant internal struggle packed with tense emotions of love, misery, and heartbreak.
While in class, Leila discusses the story of Orpheus and Eurydice, the ancient Greek legend of a hero who makes a deal with Hades to bring his wife back from the dead. The one condition is that Eurydice must follow behind as they walk up the steps out of the underworld, and Orpheus may not look back at her. However, one step away from the exit, Orpheus turns around to see Eurydice, forcing her to be dragged back into the darkness. Pakdel uses this story to parallel Leila’s struggle. Why must she pay the price for something that she has no control over?
Ricci has a familiarity to her; her character Leila comes off as someone significant or known from a past life. She keeps all of her emotions under the surface, only visible through her piercing blue eyes. They express the pain of the past and the fear of what is to come. Continually met with poor news, Leila’s anguish swells every time the phone rings.
The focus on cleanliness takes the audience right back to the beginning of the pandemic; many can likely relate to the way Leila santizes herself and her home. As well as the need to find relaxation in music, a nice cup of tea, and a workout. However the painful reality shatters any notions of rediscovery.
At the time, everyone hoped for good news; the reassurance that yes everything would turn out okay in the end, only to drown in doubt when finally met with such optimism. The audience can empathize with Leila, similarly dealing with such loss. Her story is an allusive reminder of the beginning of the pandemic at the most human level.
It is remarkable how Everything Will Be All Right delves into such deep threads of life as a short film when many features struggle to do so. This being Farhad Pakdel’s tenth short in just six years demonstrates the dedication to his craft. With a swiss army knife of skills, having worked as a writer, director, editor, cinematographer, and producer, it seems like there’s nothing he can’t do. Pakdel is a phenomenal filmmaker to keep an eye out for.
Acting and Casting - 2 | Visual Effects and Editing - 1 | Story and Message - 2 | Entertainment Value - 2 | Music Score and Soundtrack - 1 | Reviewer's Preference - 1 | What does this mean?