Céline Roustan
Sometimes, a disagreement with a stranger evolves into a much more meaningful encounter, where we are forced into a vulnerable position and can only hope for that stranger’s humanity to help out. This is what happens to Audrey, the protagonist of Accident, written and directed by S/W alum Stephanie Ahn (Manicure). Much like her previous film, Accident offers an authentic slice of life that defies expectations.
“My goal was to create a bit of the emotional experience of the feature film it’s based on”
Accident is actually a proof of concept, Ahn confessed to us. As it originates from a semi-autobiographical feature she wrote, with the short focused on a scene from that film where the two protagonists, described by Ahn as “unlikely souls”, meet. Believe me, I am often the first in line when it comes to being skeptical of shorts intended to become features. However, with Ahn very conscious of the short film format, she aimed to “create a bit of the emotional experience of the feature film it’s based on”. Adding that she “wanted to make a short film that was a complete story in itself”, which is all one can expect from a short.
Even as a slice of life, Accident presents a clear beginning and ending, taking its audience on an emotional journey with notable character development. The relationship between Audrey and Eli, the two protagonists, even starts to feel like a third character in the narrative. The film’s structure is where it becomes surprising. Starting with the kind of explosive confrontation you would expect to find at the conclusion of a story, it slowly transitions into deeper and quieter scenes with less dialogue, where silences become incredibly loaded. The rhythm might be reversed, but the emotional weight of the film follows the more conventional format, as the situation goes from quite mundane into a compelling rawness, vulnerability and compassion.
Moon Choi stars as Audrey in Accident
Ahn, who also cut the film, admitted that “much of who I am as a filmmaker is defined by my sensibilities as an editor”. Constantly mindful of the film’s overall rhythm on set, she crafted a script that is “tight and economical” to ensure the short runtime is packed with emotional depth. This approach gave the actors room to explore their characters and inject a natural authenticity to their performances. With DP Kevin Xian Ming Yu, they capture the actors with a sensitive realism that allows both Moon Choi and Clayne Crawford to build the chemistry between their characters with subtle and nuanced portrayals.
We are excited to host the online debut of Accident on Short of the Week today and just as excited to hear that Ahn is already preparing for the feature film production, aiming for an early 2025 shoot date, while also writing a new feature script and a series pilot.