Directed by Ed Morris.
SYNOPSIS:
When her father (Michie) and step-mother (Nolan) decide to separate, Yakira (Barker) becomes panicked at the idea of losing her family. Having already experienced the loss of her mother, she kidnaps her younger half-sister Kelly (Aslandogdu), in the hope that they can repair their strained relationship before they are forced apart.
Ruby Barker and Lily-Rose Aslandogdu are the stars of the show in this gritty, realist drama. They capture perfectly the feelings of helplessness that coincide with the breakdown of the family, and the resentment that bubbles beneath the surface of their relationship, resulting from them having different mums. Yakira struggles to get along with Kelly, who was born only a year after her own mother’s death. Her younger sister reminds her of how quickly her father moved on. Her life changed so quickly that she had no time to properly grieve for her mother, and this is reflected in a recurring dream that haunts her.
Murmur. Photo: Courtesy Larsen Publicity
As noted here last week, 2021’s SF Indiefest is currently under way, with its programming available for streaming through Thursday, Feb. 21. If you haven’t already checked out the excellent
Small Time, you still have another week to give it a look – but the festival has other treats available, too.
In director Heather Young’s
Murmur, 50-something Canadian Donna (Shan MacDonald) is struggling to put her life in order. Recently paroled (the details of her criminal past are not revealed), Donna drinks a bit too much, vapes a bit too much, and is in need of stable employment to keep her parole officer happy.