Reparations
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Written by: Gregory G. Allen | Directed by: Gregory G. Allen | Genre: Drama |
| Michonne ( Nefertiti Warren ) is preparing her thesis with the topic being reparations, and has arranged a series of interviews with Howard ( Ed Delia ) a Holocaust survivor. He receives money from Germany on a regular basis and seems the perfect complement to her thesis. Howard, as is apparently the norm, has prepared tea for the two as they discuss the atrocity that was WWII. Early on, we find out that Howard does not share Michonne’s sense of entitlement and does not believe she should receive reparations for something she didn’t live through herself. He himself does, because he personally lived through the experience. It’s a compelling argument that I’m sure has overtaken many a dinner party but with these two, even when things get heated they both still listen. It’s not Howard’s place to decide such things and may make an interesting note in Michonne’s thesis. As we find out, everything in Howard’s life is not exactly as it is on paper and although morally he probably deserves the payouts from Germany, legally he doesn’t. I’ll leave the rest to the viewers to find out and think upon, but this is a really good short film. Written and produced by Gregory G Allen, Reparations is a great example of a good script done right. In only around 12 minutes, this film covers a lot of ground, most of it consisting of past atrocities and moral obligation. Pretty hefty stuff for a low budget independent film, even more for one so short in length. I found this to be a slight problem, the length I’m writing about. Simply because this film feels like it should have been longer, that there was more to talk about. One of the biggest fears of an indie producer is the fear of being called excessive or bloated, this is one of those movies that should have been a little longer. Drawing parallels with flat out racism is almost a no brainer for a film using Nazi’s as a backdrop. This one does it right, going from submissive to outright aggressive at all the right places. Had that feeling of incompleteness not been there, I would have rated this movie higher, but I can’t help shake that feeling that I wanted more. Still an excellent short film that easily earns each and every star. Thumbs up. Reparations Short Film Official Trailer from Gregory G. Allen on Vimeo. Find this title online |
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