What drew me to watch the TIFF short-film Diaspora was both the cast and the subject matter.
What I ended up experiencing was one helluva thrill ride.
Directed by Tyler Mckenzie Evans, this film bridges together satire, the thriller genre and elements of the horror genre as well. It follows Melina (Cara Ricketts) as she starts to notice the gentrification of her long-time black community and begins to suspect it maybe something more sinister.
Scene after scene, you are glued to your chair wondering what’s going to happen next. More importantly, you keep asking yourself “what the heck is going on?!” – the question I think the creatives on purpose want you to ask until the very end.
Cara Ricketts is brilliant as Melina, the woman who goes down the rabbit hole of suspicion. She captures her characters fear and confusion, and multiple other emotional states. You can’t look away from what her character does next, and that is pivotal to the film experience.
I particularly loved certain elements of the cinematography. The close-up shots of Melina helped capture the dread that was falling upon her as she starts to pull each thread of information.
I can say a lot, but I would highly advise you just watch the film and experience it yourself.
But I will share my reaction to the ending: Darn you Tyler!
The film has the perfect premise to be adapted into a feature film, and I hope Evans and the creative team return to make one.
Diaspora plays as part of TIFF’s Short Cuts programme at the 47th Toronto International Film Festival; specifically Short Cuts Programme 4. Visit TIFF’s website HERE for all the details on screenings.
Cover Photo: Still from Diaspora | Courtesy of TIFF.
