Wes Chew

The surreal degradation of a man’s mind makes him fall in and out of a state of Limbo, affecting his relationship with his fiancé. NFFTY 2015 starring Davin Reid Grace Cullingworth music by Talvihorros talvihorros.com Absent was part of my final Development Project for my fourth year at Capilano University's Bachelor of Motion Picture Arts program. It was shot in two days with just myself and my actors. I wanted an atmosphere that would allow Davin and Grace the freedom to experiment with their performance, while also allowing me to put my focus on them. The fact that Absent was entirely self-funded meant that I also didn't have a lot of money to feed a larger crew or tickets at the PNE. My inspiration for Absent comes from both observing my family and reflecting upon my previous relationships of not always being present in one, due to the affects of something else. Whether they be suffering from something mental or physical, I choose to put that character alone in a liminal space where they need to fight their way out. In addition to this I wanted to shed light on the fiancé who also struggles with their companions pain just as much as they do, sometimes only being able to hold their hand.