Art and inspiration often come from the most unexpected places, sometimes when an artist feels they have nothing left to give. Filmmaker Ethan Grover explores this idea in his short film, Counterpart.
Frustrated by composer’s block, a composer (Jacob Huey Correa) angrily crumples his sheet music and tosses it away. Moments later, he hears a knock at his window and sees his counterpart awakening in an alternate reality—an empty apartment with only a piano waiting for him. Stepping inside, he finds the same sheet music, discarded by his otherworldly counterpart. When he throws it back through the window, it mysteriously returns, hinting at a connection neither of them fully understands.
The composer (Jacob Huey Correa) discovers his discarded sheet music in an alternate reality in Counterpart.
“Frustrated by composer’s block, a composer…angrily crumples his sheet music and tosses it away.”
Running at a quick six minutes, Counterpart highlights the metaphysical, if not spiritual, nature of creativity. Inspiration is not something that can be held or touched but exists in a realm beyond our grasp. Once we find it, symphonies are born. As a film, Counterpart is simple, straight to the point, and evokes all the right emotions. If I could offer one suggestion, it would be to experiment with some off-the-shelf CG effects to enhance the visual and otherworldly aspects of the tale.
Counterpart serves as a reminder that creativity often thrives in connection, whether with others or with parts of ourselves we’ve yet to meet. In just a few minutes, Ethan Grover captures the magic of inspiration arriving exactly when it’s needed most.
"…Inspiration…exists in a realm beyond our grasp."
