Safa’s been through a lot. Now her car battery's dead in a strip mall parking lot.

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Are You Still There?
Directed by Rayka Zehtabchi and Sam Davis
samdavisdp.com / raykazehtabchi.com

"On the list of most frustrating things that could happen on a given day, having a car that won’t start is definitely up there. Safa already has a lot on her mind, so when her battery dies in a parking lot, she is stuck, frustrated, and is given reason to confront more about her life than an unreliable automobile. Prolific filmmaking duo Rayka Zehtabchi and Sam Davis (known for (SHn(y)o͞of) and the 2019 Oscarwinner, Period. End of Sentence) are back on S/W with their latest short, Are You Still There? With sensitivity and subtlety, the team craft a deeply moving family drama where an every day headache serves as a jumpingoff point for a poignant exploration of grief and memory.

What do you do when your car breaks down? In the United States most would call AAA, a member organization that has some perks, most notably roadside assistance. Safa does the same, but one problem—she’s not the name on the account—that would be her Father. With her car broken down, her Mom busy at work, and the convenience store owner she’s parked out in front of pounding on her window, Safa is stressed out and not ready to unpack her repressed feelings regarding him.

Like many filmmakers, Zehtabchi and Davis drew inspiration for Are You Still There? from personal experience, but explaining that connection requires *SPOILERS*, so proceed with caution.

***

Grief can be tricky and complex. We all process in our own ways, which is why sometimes the most random event can be triggering. For Zehtabchi, it was a flat tire. She writes,

My father passed away during my first year of college. Despite pressure from my family and friends to take the semester off, I decided to return only a week after his passing. I believed that in order to survive the moment, I needed to throw myself into film school and tune out the grief. A month later, my tire burst as I was driving down the highway. As I pulled over to the side of the road, my first reaction was to dial my dad’s number. I could no longer run from it. A month’s worth of suppressed pain finally came roaring to the surface on the side of the I10 freeway. It was a simple flat tire that forced me to stop and face my new reality of living without him.

The frustration caused by a car that can’t keep you going becomes both literal and metaphorical. In that vulnerable moment, everything that has been kept under control suddenly springs out in a gushing sensation (“suppressed pain finally came roaring to the surface”). Zehtabchi chose to build the film around this hinge moment, but uses artistic license in relating her personal story in order to have the space and time to examine the ramifications in a narratively compelling manner—preserving mystery, drawing out tension, and playing up the external environment. [Continue reading on shortoftheweek.com] S/W Curator Céline Roustan

Safa: Safa Tarifi
Roya: Rima Haddad
DP / Editor / Sound Designer: Sam Davis
Production Designer: Sydney Weinberger
1st Assistant Director: Ryan Wagner
Costume Designer: Meredith Peebles
Prop Master: Genevieve Parkes
Gaffer: John Fisher
Key Grip: Daniel Abbott & Nelson "J.J." Flores
EP: Darren Gealta
CoProducers: Derek Tonks & Sarah Bazzi
Associate Producers: Matthew Stanley & David Junker
Music Supervisor: Emily Roman
1st AC: Jeff Vanderpool
Boom Operator: Anthony Newen

Reproduced on this channel with the permission of the filmmakers.