‘The Same Story’ tells a story we see a lot today on the streets of most major countries, where the people fight with the government, fight against corruption, and fight for their rights to be whatever and whoever they want to be. In this short, violence seems to be the answer to all the questions no one had time to ask. Three friends, somewhere around 1969, when Lyndon B. Johnson was the President of the United States, fight alongside other teenagers for their rights. The protest they are organizing forces a counter-manifestation from the police that brings in the A-team. The clash between the two parts is bloody and people die and so the overall story is looking back at the events from the perspective of one of the participants, sometime after it all went down.

 

Alice Airoldi’s short follows the gentle rule of intuition as a descriptive mechanism. The first action presented in this short does not show the main characters in full frontal form, but they are cleverly shown in subtle shots, pointing out one or two characteristics that are enough to know who you deal with.

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The story could have focused more on the riots and the preparation process as it seems they were extremely similar to the ones today, and it would have been a massive hit to come with a full panoramic view from the inside, to make the regular bystanders understand how an ideological movement comes to life, and how easy it all can ignite. Even so, the characters as well as the cinematography are credible enough to keep your eyes glued to the screen until the very end. It is also interesting that at one point, one of the characters refers to a Molotov Cocktail as being the one true solution for their problem, as the movement reacts exactly as a Molotov Cocktail – they are always ready, and one small spark can unleash the fire that will definitely be problematic!

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A genuine experience you will definitely enjoy to the fullest!

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Review written by Vlad A.G.