Petriarch

Dealing with the serious illness of a loved one is never easy. In the absence of helpful cultural narratives, people find diverse ways to try and make sense of it, or to find solutions. When his ailing father won't wake up, the hero of this film visits an ancient stone arch in search of inspiration. His wish seems to be granted - he experiences a vision - but as he tries to explain it to his father it becomes apparent he may not have understood it himself.

Elton and Menary's film is a slight but poignant snapshot of grief, exploring the particular difficulty of grieving for somebody who is still alive. In conventional terms it's overlong and some viewers will find its awkward, repetitive dialogue off-putting, but it will ring true for others who have been in that situation. The son's efforts to say or do something profound are stymied by the overwhelming nature of his circumstances. As the open landscape stretches out around him on all sides, he seems yet to comprehend his aloneness. His boyish longing to make his father proud leaves him in a liminal place, unable to accept that he must be an adult now, just as his father is in a liminal state between life and death.

Although the film isn't entirely successful at getting across what it's trying to say, it's a bold attempt at tackling a difficult subject. The locations are well chosen and the stone arch an effective presence. There's a little too much sentiment yet Menary, as the son, remains believable. It's the germ of an idea, waiting to be expanded into something more.