A 16-year-old swimmer’s clash with his coach has hidden meaning!

This is such an evocative and brilliant short film that captures so much angst in a brief period, that it is overwhelming. It is just under 15 minutes long. A 16-year-old boy named Damien (Jacob Whiteduck-Lovie) is an accomplished swimmer but is hiding something that erodes away at who he is. He simply cannot tell anyone what is happening. His swimming coach has taken a keen interest in him and has pushed him to become an excellent water polo player. Yet the relationship with his coach seems murky and tense with Damien seemingly becoming more passive-aggressive towards him.

But he does make swimming look appealing and enticing. So much so that his younger brother, Jordan (Ryan Hill) wants to emulate him. Upon hearing that, Damien panics and becomes horrified, and a sense of panic overshadows him. He tries to discourage this pursuit. He seems to want to protect his brother no matter what the cost.

Damien tells his younger brother, in a brilliantly written dialogue, that he can tell him anything, even things he cannot tell his parents, or things that he might be afraid to tell another living soul. Damien plants the seed in his brother’s young mind that he does not have to go down any path alone.

Nothing is ever said or done that is overt, but it does not have to be. We can sense what is happening. Slowly, but almost inevitably, we begin to see Damien break the shackles of what is clearly abuse.

The road ahead for him will be profoundly challenging and the hope is he will come to rely on his own resolute and fortitude. He can no longer be or remain silent. What he faced was unthinkable. What he is facing is unimaginable. What he will face is unfathomable. Yet if Damien is to have a chance at life, he must learn to swim against the tide of passivity and swim into the ocean of truth.

This is a sharply written and touchingly directed production by Mathiaas Graham that captures two axioms. One, it shows the intense love an older brother has for his younger brother that is adroitly captured and his pain is willingly conveyed in a way that assured his brother a full proof escape route with no barriers ever. And second, he captured in subtle tones the ubiquitous, insidiousness, and the silent horror of sexual abuse. How it can hide in plain sight.

The overall production of this short film is spectacular; it simply enhances and underscores the raw emotions obvious. While watching this you want to say this is not happening, yet your gut tells you it is. If you are not profoundly moved and saddened by this short film, then you are not human. It screams pain. Yet for me, there is still a flicker of hope that Damien will be made whole. Dear God, I hope so. He has suffered in silence long enough.

Rating- 5 out of 5

Streaming on- Omeleto YouTube Channel