Ivan Kander
Considering the large number of short documentaries I watch on a daily basis, it’s rare for one to truly hit me in the “feels.” Elder, a stellar piece from director Genéa Gaudet, is that of sort of film—the kind that snatches you away from reality. The laptop screen disappears and suddenly you’re enraptured by a true-life tale of love, loss, and faith.
At the heart of this piece is a tragic love story. The protagonist, Tom Clark, patiently recounts his time in coastal Italy in the early 1970s as a Mormon missionary. As a young gay man who has been taught his entire life that homesexuality is a sin, he is essentially a lost soul, depressed and popping Thorazine to make his “problem” go away. And, so when he finally meets a kindred spirit in Gianni—a handsome Italian communist—what results is both thrilling and poignant.
This is a film about a multitude of things: the joy of first love, finding one’s self, questioning faith. It also casts a critical lens on the Mormon Church’s lack of acceptance toward same-sex attraction. This isn’t to say that Elder is some sort of “take down” of Mormonism, but the underlying message is still there. The result is incredibly compelling. It’s emotional without being sappy—a specific story that insights universal feelings (not matter if you are gay or straight).
Gaudet is clearly a very talented filmmaker, but with this film she is also blessed with two elements that make Elder stand out in the crowded short documentary field. Tom Clark, who serves as both the narrator and central character, is a gifted storyteller. His voice is harmonious, his delivery arresting. These talking-head sections are then interspersed with Super 8 film clips documenting the relationship, providing the viewer with a wonderful, grain-infused picture of a romance that could never be. It’s no surprise it was selected to be a part of the New York Times Op-Doc series.
Superbly paced with a precise editorial sensibility, Elder is a captivating documentary—one that depicts how a short epoch in someone’s life can ultimately define the person that he/she becomes.
Director Genéa Gaudet is currently in pre-production on a feature length documentary about men’s child custody battles in the U.S. courts. Keep up to date with the project on her production company’s website.