A Moment in the Reeds
Directed by: Mikko Makela
Summary: Through the lens of an intimate love story, this film – Makela’s directorial debut – explores a plethora of interconnected themes. It touches on immigration, the refugee experience, racial prejudice, homophobia, identity crisis, family drama, the meaning of home and what makes one want to stay or leave it. These are struggles lead characters Tareq and Leevi confront as they form a bond while working together to rebuild Leevi’s family home on a lake in the Finnish countryside. Leevi has returned home for the summer, from studying in Paris, to help with the project, and Tareq is the handyman hired for additional help. When Leevi’s close-minded father leaves the two men at the cabin to do business elsewhere, Leevi and Tareq grow close, learning how their stories are similar and different, and what their past means for their future.
My take: While watching, I don’t think I was personally so blown away, but in retrospect, it is a very beautiful film. It’s stripped down, not just in the sense of an independent film budget, but in that there’s very limited movement. It’s in one place, between two people with barely anyone else appearing in the whole film. It doesn’t track their lives for very long, revealing their backstories only through their conversations, and not following them into the future. Like the film’s name suggests, it’s about a moment. The fact that at viewing time, I was full of manic energy and simultaneously fatigued from juggling jobs and logging hours at a clip watching films may explain why I found this stationary film underwhelming at first.
But I did remember thinking how realistic it is. The dialogue, the way their relationship develops is possibly the most relatable, earnest romance I’ve seen on screen. No lines play into that cheesy “what writers think people talk like” style. It is so incredibly natural. The acting is phenomenal, with each actor – one of whom had limited experience, the other who had no acting background – showing drama chops but also comedic timing through the few scenes of levity sprinkled throughout. The scenery and shots are gorgeous, dripping with vigor and perfect lighting. Makela manages to neatly intertwine all the themes he intended to portray and convey those messages quite effectively. It might not be something I ache to re-watch over and over, simply due to the slow-burn, quiet nature of it, but it has all the elements of a beautiful film.
Rating: 4
To stay posted on when and how you can see the film, go to: http://amomentinthereeds.com/
You can also check out our interview with Makela for his thoughts on making the film.
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