What’s the point of survival, if we can’t live? For many people, the grind of surviving day-to-day takes away the hope and joy of living life to its fullest. Donta Storey’s short film, LiME, is a warning not to let even the most considerable obstacles stop you from pursuing what’s important in life.
Deshawn (Urian Ross) is a young man living in the tough part of Compton, California, in the early 2000s. As he heads out for the day, his mother is washing and cutting limes and boiling them in a pot of water. In fact, there are limes everywhere in the kitchen.
Deshawn’s mother asks him if he’s going to the tryouts this morning. Like many teenagers, he mutters “yes” under his breath and slips out. On his way to the park, he runs into a friend who wishes him luck. When he arrives, a few members of the cheer and drum corps greet him with encouragement as Deshawn is visibly nervous. His practice pays off, and Deshawn makes the team.
“…a few members of the cheer and drum corps greet him with encouragement…”
Looking sharp in his new uniform, Deshawn quickly walks past a group of guys, who quickly intimidate, harass, and then start beating him down. The local storeowner breaks up the melee, and a dejected Deshawn stumbles home. His mother has something to say about the matter.
LiMe is a sweet story of a mother passing wisdom to her son as the short plays out like a fable with a moral at the end. The world isn’t perfect, and you have the choice of being the unique you or being what the rest of the world considers “normal.”
Donta Storey’s short film is much like his story in LiME. Ironically, Storey had a tale to tell and didn’t let the obstacle of raising large amounts of money or renting big studio quality equipment stop him from getting made. He has an excellent eye for the camera and knows how to tell stories on film. LiME deserves your attention and time.
"…his mother is washing and cutting limes and boiling them in a pot..."
