Narrative short / 02
The Desolation of Grief
As Caitlin sorts through a loss, a box and a stuffed toy bring what she is carrying into view.
Writer · Director · Co-editor
Project notes
Grief through objects.
A cardboard box and a stuffed toy give the characters something concrete to handle as the space between them changes. The film moves from a busy kitchen to an exchange staged across a doorway.
Written and directed by Clara Custodio. Edited by Clara Custodio and Emma Garcia Banos. Cinematography by Emma Garcia Banos. Cast: Madison Press, Mariana Fergeson, and Vivian Rodriguez.
A closer look
Three moments from the film.
A closer look at how props and blocking give the actors room to carry the scene.
The box
The open box puts the work of sorting through a loss into the frame. It also gives the performers something to handle as they share the room.
The stuffed toy
An insert interrupts the sequence of faces and rooms. The toy gives the next exchange an object that can pass between characters.
The distance
The wide framing lets the space between the two figures register before the film moves closer for their reactions.