Husk

(Tori Lawrence/2015/USA)

A woman dressed in mid 18^th Century attire lies on a carpeted floor amid dead moths. Next we see her against a wood panelled wall with a chair in the foreground. Piano notes begin, slowly plunked as she is shown seated and fiddling with a pearl necklace. Suddenly she is outside carrying a dog. She reaches a river. Back inside she removes her boots. As the external shots with her dog by the river continue she begins to dance and move more elaborately in the interior scenes. The film closes with the woman traversing the river which is seemingly shallow as she walks out into its midst. There is a dichotomy of action and expression between the exterior and interior shots leading me to think we are being shown her internal feelings, expressed through dance, juxtaposed with external happenings in the real world. Or possibly the external shots are memories and the interior shots are reactive to these. The ambient sounds and minimalist piano by Earlyguard throughout are lovely. It’s an elegant, suggestive piece of film that is just long enough to hold you without losing its mood. 

Husk on Vimeo

(3.5/5)