Film Journal 2024: Cottontail
Directed by Patrick Dickinson
A simple but powerful examination of family, mostly told through the lens of a solitary aging man who, in the aftermath of losing his wife, stands in danger of losing his son.
The father-son dynamic is a significant part of the culturally rooted narrative, navigating social expectations, honor-shame systems, family responsibilities. But even then, it is also a universal story about grief, loss, estrangement and forgiveness, all which carry this potent sense of intimacy, empathy and awareness.
The fact that it taps into such real emotions without ever becoming sentimental or forced is a testament to the sensitive hand behind the camera and the embodied performances in front of it.
The Stories of my Life 