Our lives are constantly being marked by milestones where each passing year ushers in a new era of possibilities or detractors – for us to do better and take care of open-ended business. For Zach (director Don-Dimitri Joseph) his 30th birthday signals a major turning point in his life, especially with his unique condition that concerns his fading eyesight. His mother Carolyn’s (Christine Horn) illness is constantly on his mind, but there’s a nagging feeling in the pit of his soul that just won’t let him rest until he finds closure. That pressing matter is his absent father, whom he never got a chance to form a lasting connection with during his youth. Zach, with the help of his supportive girlfriend Janine, is determined to find his dad before he completely loses his vision.
From its very first frame, Heart To See maintains a clear focus on Zach’s ongoing internal struggle. We even get a POV of how Zach sees the world when the film opens up. His birthday party only serves to aggravate old wounds, as he finds himself more vulnerable than ever in the presence of those closest to him. Cutting through his insecurities is his partner Janine (played by an incredibly likable Martha Duque) who never wavers in the face of the many challenges life chooses to throw their way. Joseph himself is a standout amongst an already solid ensemble cast, navigating his role with grace and a steadfast attitude, all while pulling double duties behind the camera as director.
Joseph thoughtfully commands his short’s trajectory, even if some inconsistent writing and technical errors get in the way of things. Sometimes it seems as if Heart To See’s footage wasn’t properly desqueezed from its anamorphic shooting format, which results in some rather unsavory on-screen compression. Some of the audio quality seems to also waver in the short’s latter half, affecting the dialogue in key moments of the story. You still want to follow along in every scene in spite of these problems, in hopes of finding Zach’s dad amidst a sea of dead ends. Perhaps the script could have done a better job making the search a bit more of an inconvenience for Zach and Janine, as they just zip from location to location, with no breathing room left for real contemplation between encounters. The destination may be fulfilling, but the journey itself, and in this case, the search, is just as important.
It has its rough patches, but Heart To See has empathy on its side and strong central performances to back its heartfelt story.
