Short of the Week: A moving family drama by Andrea Arnold
Andrea Arnold has developed a solid global following on the back of multiple cinematic gems that have captured the imagination of film fans worldwide. Through projects such as Fish Tank and American Honey, Arnold has proven that she has a firm grasp on the art of social realism and its intimate relationship with cinema.
In addition to the films she directed, Arnold has also worked on television shows like Transparent and Big Little Lies. Last year, her latest documentary, Cow, premiered at the Cannes Film Festival and earned widespread acclaim from critics and fans who found the story about a female dairy cow fascinating.
For this edition of Short of the Week, we have chosen Arnold’s 2003 short Wasp, one of the filmmaker’s first projects ever directed. Starring Natalie Press as a single mother with four children, Wasp chronicles her struggles as she tries to find a balance between her identity as a parent and a young woman.
In an interview, Arnold revealed that Wasp was based on her memories of her own mother and her experiences with the trials and tribulations of being a single mother with multiple children. The director said: “My mum had four kids when she was very young and was a single mum, so she is similar to the film’s main character in Wasp.”
When Arnold got around to making Wasp, she was aware of the challenges of motherhood as well. “Now that I am a mother myself, I can appreciate how tough that must have been, but people think of council estates as gritty, horrible places,” she added. “I wanted my film to show how colourful and vibrant life can be there.”
Wasp paints a nuanced portrait of a mother who wants to experience what it was like to be young and in love again. Although she makes questionable decisions, the film doesn’t pass judgment at all and instead focuses on the problematic socioeconomic realities. It ended up winning the Academy Award for the Best Live Action Short Film, making Arnold a more prominent figure in the industry.
Watch the short film below.
