Kyung Sok Kim’s short film, Monét, reminds me that this world we all live in is inhabited by very flawed people…and I’m talking about you.
The film follows a troubled high school student, Sarai (Tdjiri Yakini), who is relentlessly bullied by everyone at her school. We soon find out that Sarai was responsible for the death of her best friend, Monét (Kasey Inez), in a fatal car accident. Sarai was the one behind the wheel.
“…Sarai was responsible for the death of her best friend, Monét…”
Monét is not a PSA on drunk driving but a PSA on not giving up during the worst of times. With Monét’s death, Sarai struggles to find a reason to continue. It’s hard not to shake off the idea that at such a young age, it feels like we’ll always be defined by our worst sin. The bullying only intensifies as she is marked as a murderer. Sarai’s guilt also becomes unbearable as there are questions about Sarai’s actual role in the accident.
Monét is an insightful tale of how tragedy strikes today’s youth. Written by the film’s star, Tdjiri Yakini shows us how isolating being a teen can be and how Sarai has no one to turn to…except a ghost from her past.
For me, the bright spot of Monét is its hopeful message that someone does love you and that there is hope and forgiveness. It’s a matter of waiting for this storm to pass.
"…a PSA on drunk driving, but it's a PSA on not giving up during the worst of times."
