ReelBob: 2017 Heartland Film Festival: Short films roundup

By Bob Bloom

For tickets and show times, please click here.

“Just Go!”
What can a 10-plus minute movie tell you about a person.

In the case of “Just Go!”, we learn about a young man, Justs, who lost his legs in a childhood accident, but did not let that deter him from getting on with his life.

The movie relates an incident in Justs’ life in which a friend had her purse snatched by two thieves. They flee and Justs gives chase, using his car, a skateboard and his wits to get the better of them.

That Justs retrieves the purse not the exceptional aspect of the story. It’s Justs’ self-confidence and certainty that impresses you.

Director Pavel Gumennikov shows Justs’ pursuit of the thieves in a breathtaking series of shots that call attention to the young man’s athleticism rather than that he is legless.

“Just Go!” is a winning production about a determined individual who does not allow any obstacles to impede him in life.

“Still Sophie”

A young woman full of life and song has a stroke at 19. Basically, she loses the use of the right side of her body. She can’t write and speaking is difficult.

But Sophie loves to sing. Four-plus years after her stroke and rehabilitation efforts, Sophie begins to sing again.

She finds the words for her song, but has difficulty forming the thoughts about what she expects for her future.

As Sophie explains, pointing to her brain and her mouth, some of the connections between the two are gone.

But the music is still inside her and Sophie gives voice to her perseverance.

In a little more than seven minutes, director Caroline Knight and producer Chad McClarnon introduce us to a young woman who, when she gives voice to the melody inside her, let’s you know that her song is not yet finished.

I am a member of the Indiana Film Journalists Association. My reviews appear at ReelBob (reelbob.com) and Rottentomatoes (www.rottentomatoes.com). I also review Blu-rays and DVDs. I can be reached by email at bobbloomjc@gmail.com or on Twitter @ReelBobBloom. Links to my reviews can be found on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn.