HOLLYSHORTS 2026 REVIEW! There is that saying about walking a mile in another man’s shoes before you judge him. Writer/director Jill V. Dae takes a clever, heartfelt approach to bring us this short film, DEI, about a bigoted man rallying with ICE agents as a Latino father is detained, and his daughter calls on family spirits, cursing the man during Día de los Muertos.
The short film opens quickly with Marcos (Erik Rolando Rozet) being dragged from his home and thrown into a van by ICE agents. Bryan (Lochlyn Munro) cheers on the agents while filming with his phone and chanting, “Send them back” and “USA.” A distraught Carla (Maeve Garay), on her hands and knees on the lawn, makes eye contact with Bryan, who in turn becomes uncomfortable. Carla runs into her house to the family shrine for Día de los Muertos and calls on her ancestors to make those who cause others to suffer learn to be human.
Bryan (Lochlyn Munro) cheers on ICE agents during the opening rally scene in DEI.
“Inside, as he is scarfing down his food, his spirit gets transported, and he wakes up in Carla’s body.”
Bryan later arrives home to his nice, big house and gets out of his Mercedes with a good old American hamburger, fries, and a soft drink in hand. Inside, as he is scarfing down his food, his spirit gets transported, and he wakes up in Carla’s body. Initially shocked, he meets Lucia (Zara Castaneda), Carla’s little sister; her mother, Marisol (Ada Luz Pla); her father, Marcos; and her brother, Lucio (Daved Olivencia), one by one. He discovers Carla’s household and grows close with them. Finally, Bryan, as Carla, experiences the fateful day when Marcos is picked up, leading to the opening scene where Carla sees Bryan cheering on the ICE agents.
When I read the premise of the short, I immediately thought of the Stephen King film Thinner. I was totally down to see something like this, especially with actor Lochlyn Munro, until I realized there was a Freaky Friday element to it. Writer/director Jill V. Dae did a brilliant job using the tradition of Día de los Muertos to tell this supernatural story. I thought there would be more of a suspense or thriller angle due to the serious nature of ICE and people being detained. Instead, Dae takes a slight comedic route with the body swap, balanced with a lot of heart. In the roughly 20 minutes she has, she splits enough time for Bryan, as Carla, to quickly get acquainted with the family and bond with them. There’s even a fun moment that Bryan has with Marcos while watching sports on TV.
There are a lot of films out there that really should be shorts, or shorts that inspire feature-length films. Here, Dae really showcases her talent as a writer/director with a cast that helps her shine. DEI hits all the beats of a perfect short, and I look forward to seeing Dae’s next feature.
DEI screened at the 2026 HollyShorts Film Festival.
"…immediately thought of the Stephen King film Thinner."
