Two birdwatchers, Edward (Jordan Peters) and Athel (Hannah Chinn), visit the local wetlands, spending hours on end enjoying each other’s company while taking in all of the area’s natural beauty. But while Edward is focused on the wildlife and the specs of his binoculars, Athel feels she is far more in tune with her surroundings, in a way that would be hard to explain to even Edward. Soon enough, her strange inclinations lead her to make a surprising revelation.
Writer/director Jack Cooper Stimpson’s Oscar-qualifying short film Spirit of Place is the ultimate exercise in restrained, elegant filmmaking. It’s almost effortless the way the environment and the actors manage to co-exist in such a thought-provoking way, with each element complementing the characters individual development. Then, of course, there’s the endearing mystery that Athel stumbles upon that keeps the intrigue high.
At its core, Stimpson is examining our ever-fluctuating connection to nature as a whole, and he does so with a very unique lens. He and Director of Photography Pip White imbue the marshes of Woodberry with a gentle, eerie magic that never escapes beyond the realm of reality. It has its own singular charm that’s exclusive to the short. More than just plain eye candy, there’s an important message here that the creative team is trying to make about the current state of the conservation movement, and it’s integrated into the story masterfully.
The ensemble cast is exceptional as well. Sex Education’s Rakhee Thakhrar has a brief but impactful role in a birdwatching shed alongside Edward and Athel, helping them gain perspective on the history of the wetlands. Academy Award Winner Mark Rylance also makes a worthwhile appearance towards the latter half of the short in a role that will be a real surprise to those who choose to go into the film without any prior knowledge. Rylance has always added appreciable value to every film he’s starred in, and his scene with Chinn’s Athel stands tall as a well-earned bookend for the young woman’s path to self-discovery.
Spirit of Place takes an unconventional, yet captivating approach to dissecting a very modern problem. One that doesn’t seem to ever get enough attention.
