directed by Saara Lamberg
Have you ever heard of the Westermarck effect? It’s a hypothesis which says that people who have been living together as children rather don’t feel any sexual attraction towards each other. Which may explain why we don’t feel attracted to our siblings even though technically… we could. Still, humans have developed some kind of sexual aversion to people with whom we’re growing up and perhaps it’s because that naturally stops inbreeding, which, as you probably know, may have serious genetic consequences. Why am I writing about it? Because one director, Saara Lamberg, decided to put a spotlight on this topic and create a quite unusual story. We get to know Sally (played by the director herself) who was raped as a teenager and gave birth to an unwanted child. Or at least a child she wasn’t prepared to raise back then. The little boy was given to adoption and 20 years later Sally wishes to find him. When they meet, Sam (Jayden Denke) doesn’t know who the woman is and starts flirting with her as there’s some mysterious chemistry between them. When Sally finally reveals the truth not to make the situation even more awkward, Sam doesn’t seem to be bothered by their biological connection. What’s more, they both feel like continuing their extraordinary relation despite knowing it’s considered wrong on numerous levels. I have to say I was shocked by the choice of the topic in this production, but at the same time I was incredibly curious how the story evolves. I don’t say it often, but in this case I felt the film was too short, because I didn’t have time to peacefully process what’s going on. On the other hand, perhaps that was the idea, to make us feel slightly lost with out thoughts. Still, I’d definitely appreciate more time to get into the world of Sally and Sam. However, the topic itself seems to be quite original and very controversial, yet presented in a way that gives you a lot of food for thought. Because personally, I don’t feel like the film has told me whether their relationship was right or wrong – it’s something that I, as a viewer, needed to decide on my own. And I haven’t, to be honest. Thank you so much Saara for letting me experience your work – it was different, fresh and unconventional.
My rating: 6.5/10
S.
I have nothing to watch 