Director: Andre De Nervaux

There are stigmas society has assigned to young people; that they are entitled, technologically addicted, self-obsessed individuals. But there’s more to young people than these assumptions. Through the thoughts, feelings, experiences, and mindsets of various young subjects, the short film These Days gives a more representative voice to the worldviews of the youth. The product of what’s documented turns out to be inspiring, captivating, and refreshing.

The film is a fairly non-traditional documentary style. There’s no singular narrative and the visuals only serve to capture a specific tone and mood rather than directly support the dialogue they’re layered under.

But the young subjects narrating their thoughts in These Days are remarkably articulate. They tell intriguing stories. They express their greatest desires and deepest fears. They share what they think they know about life and acknowledge that there’s so much more to learn. The vast majority of the dialogue is infused with raw authenticity.

The only problem I had with These Days is its length. Leading up to the end of the hour-long runtime, the collage of video clip visuals become too repetitive and I felt the film saves the least interesting stories for last.

Regardless, These Days does good work in demonstrating the pulse of the world’s youth.  Approximately nine minutes in, the person speaking says, “Right now, the most important thing is for things to feel special again.” Well, this film indeed feels like something special.