The Last Winter
2019 / Drama short film / 7 mins
An ECA Student Film
Selections & Awards
Synopsis
Eddie, a little boy, lives with an unfamiliar couple. One day, he overhears a conversation between the couple and realises they want to send him away. Being scared and upset, Eddie decides to look for his actual parents. Will Eddie be able to find his family?
Why did I make this film?
*Warning: a plot spoiler is included*
Dementia is arguably the most tragic disease of all - because it gradually consumes your memory, and even identity. Perhaps due to its tragedy, dementia was portrayed in a dramatic tone in many films and TV series, while it is also a common illness that any of us could be affected by. My grandmother had dementia before she passed away. While it was painful for my family and me to watch her gradually losing her memories, she herself seemed serene. I realised that the life goes on, even in the moments that you are losing your identity.
I was inspired by a short story written by my younger sister about an old man missing his wife although he had dementia, and decided to make a film with a similar structure - revealing the genuine identity of the 'child' at the end of the film. By this twist at the end, I wanted to make the audience relate to the confusion and bewilderedness of the 'child who is not actually a child'. However, I wanted to end the film with a happy ending, because well, life goes on, and there's still love when you are suffering.