Letters of Love

Writer/director Johan Wickholm drops us into the turbulent world of Letters of Love, a story about a young man who hits rock bottom after crossing paths with the wrong man. In 1977, in Spain, Peter (Johan Wickholm) writes a letter to his girlfriend, Valentina, explaining the horrible events that have led to this point and why he may never see her again. It all had to do with the first time he met Marko (Edoardo Terrabuio).

In the flashback, Peter and his friend Raymond (Derek Duce) are cornered and beaten by cartel enforcers. When they search Peter’s pockets, they find a letter from Valentina. Their leader, Marko, reads it and mocks him brutally. From that point on, Peter owes everything he has to him as his life is at stake.

“From that point on, Peter owes everything he has to him as his life is at stake.”

Peter is in Spain in a sports education program and is forced to live a double life as an athlete and a drug dealer. Soon, the inevitable happens, and his coach finds out what he’s been doing. Peter has hit rock bottom, and the only thing he can do is run,  but he can’t. His only shining light is Valentina.

Letters of Love is a conceptual short with aspirations of becoming a feature film for writer/director/star Johan Wickholm. As a story, Wickholm says a lot without saying much. Without going through a lot of exposition, we know exactly where Peter is in his life. He got himself in trouble with the wrong people. We see that he’s free, but not living free, and he has something to live for in his love for Valentina.

Visually, Wickholm draws us into the world of 1977 Spain while taking a minimalist approach. He tells you the time and place, and gives you just enough to believe that’s where we’re at… a true indie filmmaker. Between that the good balance Letters of Love strikes between Peter’s narration and the action onscreen, we have a solid story that delivers on plot and emotion, building to a high-stakes ending.