In Diane Cossa’s Wherefore Art Thou?, Shakespeare’s most famous lovers are reunited in a story where time no longer moves in a straight line. Instead, the film follows Juliet through the fragmented memories of her past, all of which wash together like the tide.
In a quiet beachside home, an elderly Juliet (Lynn Cohen) struggles to hold onto a thought as a young nurse (Veronica Reyes-How) gently cares for her. Juliet’s mind drifts in and out through a surreal haze of memory until the nurse prompts her with the question, “Wherefore art thou?” The question becomes the thread that pulls her backward through time. As the words of Shakespeare’s balcony scene play out, Juliet is transported to her younger self in her 50s (Diane Cossa) and in her 20s (Amelia Sorensen), reliving the first spark of love that defined her life and left an indelible impression on her heart.
As Juliet sits on the beach in her 50s, she is visited by her Romeo (Robert McCaskill) and by the Romeo (Pat McCarthy) from her 20s. It is these memories that Juliet is able to recall as she fights her way through her bout with Alzheimer’s.
“Shakespeare’s most famous lovers are reunited in a story where time no longer moves in a straight line.”
Wherefore Art Thou? is a beautiful and simple story of love and aging. Director Diane Cossa and writer Shane Nepveu take the famous balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet and reframe it through the fractured memory of an elderly Juliet living with a surreal form of Alzheimer’s. From there, the short leans into themes of memory, aging, devotion, and the strange way one moment can stretch across an entire life.
Though the production values are modest, the film brilliantly relies on its actors to bring Romeo and Juliet to life within the context of Alzheimer’s. The story is one of contrasts and the struggle to hold on to memories that are so dear.
In the end, Diane Cossa’s Wherefore Art Thou? leaves behind the feeling that love can endure even when memory fades. It is a touching and beautiful short that finds real emotion in the space between remembrance and goodbye.
"…a beautiful and simple story of love and aging."
