'Unsung' by Alison McDonnell is a heart-warming and intensely humanistic short film that goes beyond the simple act of hugging someone and learns to find the human in that act, in a multitude of tiny, vulnerable moments between two individuals who badly require the other to comprehend them. The film was shot in the background of the quiet beauty of a mid-90s English seaside town, which lends power to its emotional sincerity and its subtle approach to the subject of grief, trauma, and the silent modes by which we turn to each other when communication breaks down
The heart of this movie is the incredible acting of Freddie McDonnell as Dylan, a teenager who tries to find his way through the emotional rollercoaster of adolescence with his personal grief that has no verbal expression. McDonnell depicts a vulnerable Dylan that is both unpolished and suppressed, the manner in which genuine sorrow tends to be. His looks, uncertain, seeking, silently expectant, speak as eloquently as any line of dialogue. The process of healing that Dylan undergoes is not merely that of aiding another person to recover and heal; it is a similar process of digging out his own pain, his own guilt and his own desire to be connected. Opposite him, Simon, a homeless veteran with PTSD and mental health issues has been pushed to the periphery by society. Their relationship is the heart of the emotion in 'Unsung' and their developing relationship is directed by McDonnell with the highest sensitivity.
Dylan and Simon (the latter played by Ben Templar) are initially cautious of one another but gradually develop a dependence on each other. The humanness of the movie is in how it does not mediate the suffering of either of the characters. McDonnell does not indulge in melodrama but instead focuses on the more mundane but not less important aspects of life: how trauma haunts in unexpected spaces; how adolescents tend to be more emotionally sensitive than adults acknowledge; how intimacy is established not by heroic acts but by mutual silence, trust and patience. This emotional landscape is reflected in the seaside setting, blown and battered, gently beautiful, with a backdrop that is both ancient and all too familiar.
The direction by McDonnell enables these themes to come out naturally, letting the complexities of the characters breathe. 'Unsung' ends up being a tribute to the strength in unconventional bonds. It is a coming-of-age tale that is not marked by dramatic shift, but subdued realisations and minor acts of bravery. The film is grounded in a touching performance of Freddie McDonnell and complemented by a heartfelt narration of Alison McDonnell.
The movie has a long lasting effect even after its last scene, a fragile reminder that when we help others get back on track, we usually find some pieces of our own along the way.
Written by Vlad A.G