A high school student can't move on after a terrible loss.


THERE CAN BE LIGHT is used with permission from Angela Cohen. Learn more at https://charleybearproductions.com.


Fifteenyearold Olivia is grappling with a terrible loss. Her best friend, Ricardo, recently took his own life. Since then, Olivia has been racked with guilt, blaming herself for missing the signs and falling into depression herself.

Olivia can't seem to move forward, haunted as she is by her memories. But when she finally faces the depth of her grief, she finds a way to honor her best friend while moving forward.

Directed and written by Angela Cohen, this heartfelt short high school drama captures the emotional desolation of a friend dealing with the aftermath of a friend's suicide. Focusing on those left behind and particularly those who are young and still developing into maturity it offers a different perspective on the topic, capturing the uniquely distressing tenor of grief that might make it especially hard to move through.

Visually, the storytelling is true to its youthful characters, taking its cues from the classic 80s high school film genre. It alternates a certain straightforward brightness in the high school scenes, followed by a growing sense of heavy darkness as Olivia herself descends into depression. Emotionally, it mines complicated, nuanced territory, as Olivia tries to sift through her feelings of guilt and parse out what happened, and why.

The writing toggles between Olivia's visions of Ricardo and the grief and difficulty of her present, as she tries to find signs of Ricardo's psychological distress in her past interactions with him. But she also castigates herself for not catching on, or being able to act in a way to prevent him from taking his life.

Young actor Jordan Ashley Delgado's sensitive performance captures the oscillation between these different poles of emotions, as well as Olivia's essential youthfulness. Just at the precipice of adulthood, she must contend with how a friend's life has been cut short. It's a huge weight to carry into a transition that should be full of hopeful possibility and optimism. It seems almost impossible to make sense of, must less bear. But as Olivia finds solace in unlikely places, she finds a way to make peace with what feels senseless. Olivia's mom, Paula, played by actress Leni Rico is supporting her daughter through the story.

THERE CAN BE LIGHT tackles heavy emotional territory, but it also taps into its high school characters' youth and openness to experience to explore how loved ones hold onto hope, even at the bleakest moments. As Olivia finds a way through her darkness, she moves past the helplessness that many people left behind feel. Instead, she uses her pain as an insight into how she can best help others, finding a way to create positive change and empathy out of a tragic event.