Joshua
Prepare to be disturbed
Prepare to be disturbed
Joshua is a 15 minute short, written and directed by Tim Porter on an ultra-low budget. Starring the very talented Cyrus Trafford in the title role partnered by Christian Okoli as Paul and Nancy Boo Orchis Evans as Eileen. Shot largely in black and white with a colour section spliced in, this atmospheric film is a gripping though disturbing look at child abuse from an unusual perspective.
Porter's dialogue is captivating and absorbing carrying the viewer along with it on a journey that feels tense yet strangely fascinating. It is impossible to be anything less than intrigued by the character of Joshua. Essentially the boy next door, unremarkable, could be your brother or any mother's son. In fact, Joshua is anything but ordinary. He is a man obsessed. He is a man in shackles. He represents the darker side of our collective humanity and it is an uncomfortable thing to witness. As events unfold the instinct is to feel and to express disgust and horror so how is it that there remains a tiny fragment of sympathy for Joshua? And why does that fragment cut so sharply into our own flesh? Entirely rhetorical questions of course.
To get the most from this film I would suggest watching it two or three times. I did that and found new subtleties with each viewing. There is much to set the mind thinking, questioning, analysing and ultimately searching for deeper truths. Watch it, take several deep breaths, then watch it again.
