At first the images on screen are nearly identical. There are subtle differences in the placement or appearance of objects. Only the lighting in the two panels differs; the music is the same, but the backwardly-sequenced panel plays the song in reverse. Somehow Greenbaum orchestrates it together beautifully. The protagonist executes the same actions in both the forwards and backwards images, but in one instance, rather than watching liquid pour into a glass, the liquid is pulled back into the carton, completely defying gravity. The plot and character development occur at an accelerated rate because the viewer is given two opportunities to put the story together. Yet the viewer still wonders when the two stories will meet and what causes the outcome.

One of the most haunting images is that of the protagonist in the reverse frame, smoking a cigarette in the elevator. The smoke doesn’t plume out of his mouth, but it’s pulled back into his lungs like you might see a Death Eater do in Harry Potter.

Compared to Greenbaum’s other films, “The Beginning and the End” has much more somber undertones, but it works for him. It really shows his versatility as a writer and director. Thanks for stopping by, and see you all again soon!

View the filmmaker’s page.

This week I picked “Rita” by Alison Blehert-Koehn from the University of Southern California as the film of the week. Based on Alison’s real life experiences in the Himalayas, “Rita” tells the tale of a young girl who travels the world with her parents, seeking new adventures and meeting new people.

Because the protagonist and her family are always traveling, she feels that something is missing; namely lasting friendships. After all, sharing a small camping tent with your parents on the side of a mountain can really cramp your style, which is apparent in a few quick scenes.
But on this particular trip to the Himalayas, Alison meets a young Sherpa girl named Rita. Although the girls don’t speak each other’s language, the viewer can see the longing and chemistry between them. Both Alison and Rita crave novelty, and their differing cultures allow their exploration to bloom…..