Above Below

Cam Archer's hypnotic short film takes form as a letter into the void. A middle-aged woman reads a note to a lost friend while slowed home movies of an adolescent boy flash across the screen. With movements blurred and the picture flaring with light, the image seems to register the uncertain memory of one left behind. "Have you forgotten about me," the woman asks. "We left a mark on each other, didn't we?" We don't know the nature of the relationship or the loss but the haunting conjuring power of cinema works its primal spell. ABOVE BELOW is another remarkable selection from the Cinemad Almanac. (Fandor)

Directed by Cam Archer, Above Below leans on a strong ensemble — Jasper Bel, Tristan Cole-Falek, Andria Degens — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about screen titles of 2008.