Moving on in any walk of life is hard, and this is something that the young director Kyung Sok Kim clearly understands, as seen in his short film “Furthest From”. The project deals with the consequences of inevitable change through the eyes of a child, and in doing so, manages to be near-universally relatable.
Furthest From screened at Mill Valley Film Festival
Jessie (Amanda Christine) is a young girl living in a small trailer park community who enjoys playing with her friends and enjoying the carefree life of an eight-year-old. However, a water contamination issue is slowly forcing everyone to leave the trailer park. Feeling frustrated and powerless against the changes on the horizon, Jessie must come to terms with leaving everything behind at such a young age.
It would be wrong to not start this review without praising the simply wonderful Amanda Christine. The actor, along with all of her child co-stars, including Tucker Chandler in the role of best friend Lucas, is faultless as the jovial and blissfully ignorant young resident. You feel her childish anguish as she lashes out at her resentfully responsible older sister, and share her frustration as she's forced into changes against her will. Christine's spirited and mature showing as a child clinging on to innocence is endearing. Without her performance, the short would not work. Period.
Kim's visual approach to the short, at least in terms of perspective, is reminiscent of Sean Baker's 2017 film, “The Florida Project”. We mostly experience things from Jessie's point of view, with lots of low-angle shots being utilised to dwarf the child in the adult-dominated world. Such a viewpoint is a not-so-subtle reminder that Jessie is very much not in control of goings-on around her. In fact, for the most part, we don't even see the adults of the trailer park clearly; they're instead obscured or heard out of frame, making life-changing decisions for themselves and their children.
Despite her attempts to maintain the facade that all is well, Jessie is more aware than most as to what is happening at the trailer park. Christine captures the concerned look of a worried kid perfectly and in such a way that many people watching are sure to have their minds cast back to times of doubt in childhood. There's something humorous yet also quite sad in the way that Jessie naively hides letters informing residents of the park's closure in her room, as is that will have any impact on the inevitable consequences.
Ultimately, the film is about unwanted change and how challenging it can be to accept. As a child, Jessie speaks out in a way that I, as an adult, wouldn't be able to. Her tantrums and wilful ignorance won't stop the closure of her park, yet she lashes out nonetheless. While hopefully, few viewers will relate to being forced out of their home, others will have almost certainly experienced forced changes in life, whether it be a break-up, the death of a loved one, or conflict out of their control.
With “Furthest From”, Kim and screenwriter Rex Reyes have delivered a sharp and effective coming of age tale of sorts that says ‘it's ok not to be ok with change'. Though sad and in moments angering, there's something comforting about that message, as it's one that's delivered wonderfully in what is a brilliant short film.
