Counterbalance Collective is a new game in town operating out of Toronto. Very determined young women operating as a collective learning their craft of making film by assuming interchangeable roles of film production. All done with high intentions and spirit but short on funds.
I watched their little over 9 minutes short “Green” and the camerawork has improved and the musical score by Kiia is snappy and perfectly suited. A young lady (Seled Calderon) is given a fern by her friend in the hope that it will help her “get her shit together”. Well the opposite happens as she tries to transplant the little fern she has named Christina and creates a disaster of epic proportions. Calderon shows good range from determination, frustration and then tears and in the end her self proclaimed title “Plant Momma” is rather exaggerated!
A study in good intentions being bombed to smithereens by lack of technical ability and the range of emotions that can flow over a plant and a personality not suited for caring for a plant. Plant Momma loveable and human as she is lacks the ability to care for a fern. If you are searching for a deeper meaning learning and understanding your limitations often is a result of what we might call insignificant events. In fact Calderon is so Chaplinesque in her physicality this could very well be a silent short!
Well written by Victoria Kucher.
You can see this study in plant disaster here https://youtu.be/1TnFNUSPvTc
