It’s much easier to say hello than good-bye. It’s also easier to film a “hello” than a “farewell.” People who greet each other for the first time don’t necessarily have pasts that need to be conveyed, but those who say good-bye for the last time have a history that should be somehow explained. Anthony Volastro handles this scenario very well in his short film “aNother Night,” which offers a glimpse into a Woman’s (Amelia Heinle) and Father Wingfield’s (Bernard McClain) attempts to spend one last night together before she and her son Peter (DA Keator) go to Dallas. Volastro’s fifteen minute-long film provides enough information for you to understand that the Woman and Father Wingfield were once in a relationship, but because it isn’t about hellos, it doesn’t divulge details like why and how they became involved.
The bulk of “aNother Night” takes place at a motel, where the Woman, her son, and the Father spend an awkward night together. Director Volastro captures the physicality of the attraction between the Woman and Father Wingfield, capitalizing on the actors’ abilities to convey their characters’ chemistry. Whether they’re in the confessional booth, in her car, or in her motel room with Peter present, the Woman’s and the Father’s affection for one another is evident. It’s tangible. You almost feel like you’re intruding on the subtle and not-so-subtle intimate moments they share, but the Woman and the Father are so immersed in their last night together that they don’t know you’re watching.
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