ImagineNATIVE FILM FESTIVAL 2025 REVIEW! Written and directed by Brit Hensel, Thin Places tells the story of loss and the lingering connections between sisters. Birdie (Shelby Factor) struggles with the passing of her sister Tama (Quannah Chasinghorse) and Tama’s young son Junior (Roman Romero). At first, the film presents the mundane—such as Tama taking Junior to school—but that normalcy quickly gives way to grief, memory, and longing. Birdie, now alone, replays moments from the past, including a quiet scene where Tama teases her about a man she’s seeing. The contrast between past and present reveals how deeply Tama’s absence has altered Birdie’s world.
In the stillness of her home, she calls out with no response, the silence echoing her loneliness. As Birdie drives out to an open field, a place where she and Tama spent time together alone, she finds herself haunted not just by memories but by vivid presences that feel more real than imagined. But through these memories—joyful, mundane, and painful—Birdie begins to understand that love can continue and how those who’ve passed remain with us, if we’re willing to see.” The film becomes a quiet meditation on grief, memory, and the enduring spiritual bond between loved ones.
A scene from Thin Places capturing Birdie (Shelby Factor) in a moment of solitude and remembrance
“Birdie…struggles with the passing of her sister Tama and Tama’s young son Junior.”
Short films have a way of being the catharsis of the feelings we may feel ashamed to express out loud. Filmmaker Brit Hensel shares a personal story of loss and explores how memories of loved ones linger long after they’re gone. Believe me, it’s only been two years since my mother’s passing, and I still think she’s going to call anytime now.
Hensel effectively utilizes the film as a medium for expressing her feelings of loss. She creates two worlds: one of reality and one of imagining what it would feel like to spend time with Tama again. Thin Places will connect with its audience in somber and emotional ways.
Thin Places resonates as both a personal reflection and a universal story of grief. Brit Hensel captures that liminal space where memory and reality overlap, reminding us that those we’ve lost never fully leave us.
Thin Places screened at the 2025 ImagineNATIVE Film Festival.
"…Reminding us that those we've lost never fully leave us."
