“HANNAH,” directed by Thomas Mehler

San Diego Short Film Festival

Drama

TRT 15:00

 

Lua (Chessas Andore) struggles with the 20th anniversary of the death of his sister, Luana (Joana Freymuller and Amora Schamas – it’s complicated). His grief manifests in a series of hallucinations and some angst-filled interactions with his mother, Sarita (Eliana Guttman).

Who is the eponymous Hannah, you may be asking yourself. Hannah is a Luana’s doll, which Lua has been keeping nearby for decades. He doesn’t successfully process his trauma until Hannah leaves his care.

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There’s a lot of disturbing imagery throughout the film, which could have foreshadowed something sinister but ends up being pretty straightforward. For example, in early scenes, there is a series of things in a row that are wet: Hannah dripping water in a flashback, Lua waking up because water is falling on him in bed, Lua in the shower and then Lua dropping a glass of water and making the floor wet. But it turns out Luana didn’t drown – she died near a body of water but not in it. It almost comes off as misdirection, but it’s more likely just an error on my part brought on by Twilight Zone/Black Mirror/M. Night Shyamalan viewings over the years.

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The music and sound effects frequently play into this sinister-seeming vibe, but ultimately this isn’t a ghost story. It’s a story that features a ghost, but that’s not the point. Lua’s constant, unrelenting grief is the point. This is his successful journey to find the other side of grief.

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The performances are universally strong, with Andore and Guttman conveying believable drama. “Hannah” is also shot beautifully and with purpose. The final scene, which shifts the camera subtly at a key moment to center on Hannah, is a standout and is genuinely moving.

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It’s hard to believe that this is Mehler’s first film. His background is in photography, and he brings that sensibility to many of his scenes – but he’s made his beautiful images move and we’re lucky he did.