Céline Roustan
When Daniel and his father are left alone after his mother goes away on vacation, the dynamic of the household quickly becomes unbalanced. To say that there is a disconnect between the two is putting it mildly, communication seems to be a big problem. As they both try to co-exist in the same environment their different lifestyles will force them to clash and a confrontation feels inevitable. In Quality Time, writer/director Omer Ben-David mixes family drama with thriller elements to create a compelling exploration of a strained father/son relationship.
“I grew up as a stoner teenager to a retired military career father”
Despite the specifics of the situation, there is an undeniable universality to this story that is very appealing and it’s quite refreshing to have a narrative that is focused on a father/son relationship. The authenticity of the emotional arc is also quite striking and it was this in particular that prompted us to ask Ben-David where the story came from. “I grew up as a stoner teenager to a retired military career father and you can say it’s a takeoff of true events”, he shared with us. Before adding: “I wanted to touch on the global complicated relations between fathers & sons. The need to be alike on one hand, and to accept the differences on the other hand”.
With that specific premise, Ben-David crafts the family dynamic of his duo in a very subtle way, with an effective exposition that slowly reveals how the two get along, while also unveiling the individual facets of their personality and how they clash. Once it is very clear that the mother is usually the peacekeeper in between and without her, all bets are off, the film takes a turn, with a tonal switch and the pacing accelerating. The stakes are rising, and instead of a physical confrontation, it’s a psychological one that controls the film.
Noam Imber as Daniel – the stoner son at the heart of Quality Time
Subtly, the film turns into a psychological game where both characters refuse to give in. Even though, ultimately, there is not that much hanging in the balance, the film totally immerses us in that tension making it an engaging and captivating watch. That tension has to end though and Ben-David wraps his film by reaching a satisfying climax, bringing the emotional arc of the father/son relationship to an end, in a surprisingly touching way.
The chemistry between the two lead actors, Noam Imber and Shalom Korem, is really impressive. Even though Ben-David confessed that both are playing roles that aren’t too distanced from their real-lives – one is an actual teenager and the other is ex-military – it’s their dynamic and how they interact with one another that is simply captivating and grounds the film in so much authenticity. Improvisation during rehearsals allowed the two to understand each other in their performances, and nail that specific disconnect that can often occur with the people you are the closest to.
With his DP Omri Barzilai, Ben-David opted to shoot his short in way that constantly allows us to see both characters without getting lost in the individual points of view, because ultimately it is indeed the disconnect between the two that is the main character of the film.