Short Stop: I love you, Tomorrow

There's a sort of freedom filmmakers find when making a short. While features are often expected to adhere to certain rules or expectations of story-telling, both because of the time commitment of viewers and the costs of production, a short can be anything in a way that features often can't be. Obviously, no rules are rock-solid in filmmaking, but I think shorts are more likely to play with narrative expectations. Some can essentially be a joke, a thought exercise, a clever packaging of a message. Some are more experimental, less concerned with telling a story at all, but more interested in doing something new, trying something out. It's why I always encourage people to seek shorts out -- you can find some really interesting, original filmmaking ideas and forms.

But some shorts, like Aryasb Feiz's Tomorrow, adhere more closely to the story-telling structures we expect from narrative films. And I'm always impressed when a short manages to use such a structure and deliver a fleshed-out story in such a brief runtime.  Tomorrow, at 17 minutes, does so much world-building and character development in such little time, it's pretty stunning to behold. It had me on the edge of my seat multiple times, which is no easy feat.

Set in 1970s Iran, Tomorrow follows a young street urchin who seems like he's up to no good. We first meet him snatching some food off of a street vendor's cart, then find him eyeing a seedy transaction outside a back-alley antique shop. From the get-go, he's an intriguing character. What's he up to? Why do his eyes light up when he sees the transaction go down? What did the antique shop owner hand over? 

It's a quick hook, and one that pulls us through the story and to other hooks. I was really pleased with how this short moves, with punches of action and quieter moments of release, some light moments to punctuate what ultimately ends up as a fairly heavy tale. The greatest joy comes from the core relationship that we watch form between the boy and a stray dog, who becomes an ally and a friend. The dog is so stinking cute -- big nose, expressive eyes, sturdy and limber. It's sweet to watch the friendship form, and there's so much we get even though this short is dialogue-free. The boy doesn't want to be bogged down by another being to care for, but having someone to watch his back will definitely be helpful. There are pros and cons. And the way the relationship with the dog plays out had me holding me back tears. I'm a dog guy through and through.

The dog isn't the only highlight here, visually or otherwise. Everything here looks great. I love the specificity of the setting, the various city backgrounds we see as the boy runs to and fro: a cinema, a mosque, various stores. The boy himself looks a bit gaunt, pale. It adds to his desperation, the impact of his daily tasks, the toiling toward tomorrow. It also, early on, makes you wonder about his backstory -- is he homeless, on the run, just up to some trouble? And juxtaposed with the antique store owner's massive build (he reminds me of the villain from Hello, Neighbor a bit, both in looks and overall presence), the boy becomes an easy underdog to root for. All the easier as more is revealed.

And I would remiss not to mention the lovely score by Fereydoon Bahrami, which helps keep the engine moving, adding both dynamic movement and emotional texture to the various scenes as called for. It's really lovely work.

As I work my through various shorts that are vying for Oscar glory, Tomorrow stands out as one of the sturdiest narratively. I love how full a story it tells, and how it moves through that story, adding layers, characters, depth as we go. It could be one to watch out for.