PROMISE: A Contemporary Take On Biblical Story
Journalist-turned-filmmaker Nev Pierce, who I spoke to earlier this year, is quickly establishing himself as one of the most consistent filmmakers working, considering his four top-tier shorts he has directed. The latest one of those is Promise, written by Hannah Lee, which is a modern day telling of the story of Sarah and Hagar (Genesis 16).
Sarah and Abe really want to have a child. Following a miscarriage, they take to using a surrogate mother in the form of Hagar, a Syrian refugee. Their promise to her is that they’ll provide shelter for her, a necessary offer for a displaced individual. Lee’s screenplay employs an effective routine to their lives as the pregnancy develops, which gives the characters time and space to consider things as the three-way relationship develops – things that aren’t necessarily ethical. Sarah interrupts the routine, leading to a distressing climax. It’s all especially remarkable for being so tightly constructed in a running time of just 14 minutes.
The story entails current and all-too-real themes revolved around immigrants in the West. Will the Syrian woman be able to deliver a child in the promised land called Britain? Detailing some of the specifics may take away some of the suspense, which Pierce expertly builds as in all his films, but what I will say is that one of the most fascinating and enraging dimensions of the narrative is how these ‘other’ people are only useful when they can benefit the white person. It’s in no way a generalisation of an entire group of people but Lee’s tricky characters are of that odious type.
As aforementioned, Pierce excels in creating suspense, and his other strong suits are an eye for image composition and a great understanding on how to direct actors. Rebecca Callard and Nabil Elouhabi are engaging as the central couple. Callard’s expressions are a challenge to decipher, shrouding her character’s motivations in mystery and sustaining the tension. It’s easy to sympathise with the winsome Lara Sawalha, who performs the conclusion with heartrending naturalism.
Promise is a terrific drama that represents another stride forward for the filmmaker. We can be confident in whatever his feature-length debut project will finally be, and could benefit from more of these meaningful short stories too.
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