Fourteen

Hannah (Laken Romine) wakes on her birthday. There's a present by her bed and the day seems to hold a lot of promise. Pity that not all promises are pleasant.

Cleverly subverting the viewers' expectations, writer Renee Ridgeley leads us up the garden path of teenage dreams and aspirations only to present us with something far more unsettling.

Director Nicole Barnett uses the sounds of everyday life to punctuate her silent short. There may be no words, but the message of this most accomplished little film comes over loud and clear.