This film follows a teen boy (Roland Hernandez) in the big city who is having a lot of social anxiety and getting very quiet.
I like how easy it is to relate to the story and how the film helps the audience sees how this boy is not along, and that they are not alone either. A lot of people have anxiety and it's easy to forget there are others struggling too. There is one main character, lots of background people and one girl who briefly interacts with him, and expresses kindness when she puts her hand on his as his shakes. The camera work is quite good. They make use of lots of different angles and different distances from the main character. The boy's attire is a key part of this film, it shows us that this is happening right now; it has for years, but especially right now, during this hard time, people like this boy have social anxiety. I like that the film is set in a big, busy city. It shows how, even in the midst of lots of people and lots of activity, you can feel alone. It can be overwhelming. We hear the noise of the city, and how the boy, at last, relaxes in the grass, puts in his ear buds and seems at peace. Roland Hernandez seems to have really dug deep into his character. He portrays his subject very well. The director, Sophie E. Hartmann seems to have put a lot of effort into creating this short film and I feel it's quite astonishing. My favorite part was when the boy lies down in the grass with his air buds; I really related to that. Many people do that to just get away from the world and I feel that shows us how much this film matters. My favorite part in that scene is when he slowly closes his eyes; that drew me in.
The message is that no one is alone. There are times when you forget that, but remember, there are people there for you and there are others going through the same thing - you are not alone.
I give Lonely But Not Alone 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. By Makena P. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
This film follows a teen boy (Roland Hernandez) in the big city who is having a lot of social anxiety and getting very quiet.
I like how easy it is to relate to the story and how the film helps the audience sees how this boy is not along, and that they are not alone either. A lot of people have anxiety and it's easy to forget there are others struggling too. There is one main character, lots of background people and one girl who briefly interacts with him, and expresses kindness when she puts her hand on his as his shakes. The camera work is quite good. They make use of lots of different angles and different distances from the main character. The boy's attire is a key part of this film, it shows us that this is happening right now; it has for years, but especially right now, during this hard time, people like this boy have social anxiety. I like that the film is set in a big, busy city. It shows how, even in the midst of lots of people and lots of activity, you can feel alone. It can be overwhelming. We hear the noise of the city, and how the boy, at last, relaxes in the grass, puts in his ear buds and seems at peace. Roland Hernandez seems to have really dug deep into his character. He portrays his subject very well. The director, Sophie E. Hartmann seems to have put a lot of effort into creating this short film and I feel it's quite astonishing. My favorite part was when the boy lies down in the grass with his air buds; I really related to that. Many people do that to just get away from the world and I feel that shows us how much this film matters. My favorite part in that scene is when he slowly closes his eyes; that drew me in.
The message is that no one is alone. There are times when you forget that, but remember, there are people there for you and there are others going through the same thing - you are not alone.
I give Lonely But Not Alone 4.5 out of 5 stars and recommend it for ages 8 to 18, plus adults. By Makena P. and Julie S., KIDS FIRST!
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