Written and directed by GB HAJIM, and screening at Dances With Films Film Festival in Hollywood, is the entrancing MERMAIDS’ LAMENT.
SYNOPSIS: The story of two women who find strength in each other despite their personal struggles, MERMAIDS’ LAMENT follows two women: Oee (Dayva Summer Escobar) a traumatized woman who has lost her voice and may or may not be a mermaid. Her therapist, Dr. Nell Jamison (Justina Mattos) battles with anxiety herself, and attempts to help Oee overcome her delusions and connect with reality. As they bond over their experiences, they learn to be resilient like the ocean and embrace the power of imagination to navigate the chaos of the world.
With captivating emotional lyricism courtesy of the beauteous lensing of cinematographers Roselio Hernandez and Ronn Murray and melded with the exquisite delicacy of score by Sharneisha Joyner and Jessica Jarvis, MERMAIDS’ LAMENT weaves its spell upon you from beginning to end.
Underwater lensing is beautiful and languid, lulling you into the “fantasy” world of Oee, a seemingly lost soul with no voice but who believes herself to be a mermaid. Metaphorically juxtapositioning black & white photography versus color, we “feel” emotion throughout the film; we “feel” the furor and the beauty of the sea and of the mind. Visuals speak volumes.
As Oee, Dayva Summer Escobar gives her the wide-eyed wonder of a child exploring the world for the first time, capturing the full range of emotions from joy to loss to fear and more. It is a wonderful performance. Countering Escobar is Justina Mattos as Dr. Nell Jemison, a psychiatrist/therapist who finds Oee on the street one day and sees her as a “patient study”. But as we see this relationship unfold, one has to wonder – who is in more need of therapy and study as Dr. Jamison has many deep-seated issues that make her doubt the wonder and joy of Oee’s beliefs about being a mermaid. Where do we draw the line between fantasy and reality? And who’s to say being a mermaid is a fantasy?
An absolute “Must See” #DWF Festival Film!!
