A short film is a proverbial calling card to be displayed at film festivals anywhere and everywhere the filmmaker will take said card. It can prove to be an excellent introduction for both the director at what it takes to make a film and for audiences, to witness a new talent or style. In this light, writer/director/star Bijan Karim’s Three Distinct Impressions is a very fascinating calling card indeed.
Parker (Bijan Karim) is a young, sleepy-eyed man who suffers from selective memory. As he describes it, his mind “is a broken record that skips all the boring tracks.” Unfortunately, those missing tracks include important information such as who he owes money to, whom he borrowed clothing from, and of course, favors people ask of him.
“Sydney requests Parker to return a wallet to her current beau…”
Likewise, we meet Sydney (Jacqueline Welbers), who compartmentalizes and forgets any encounter with anyone who makes her feel embarrassed or ashamed. She seems the perfect foil to Parker, though their time together ended a while ago. Sydney requests Parker to return a wallet to her current beau, the bass player Rachita (Kellen Jackson). He agrees to do so, attending a house party he knows Rachita is at.
The premise of Three Distinct Impressions hinges on the acting ability of the three principal characters. Thankfully, Karim, Welbers, and Jackson are all very good in their respective roles. There’s an odd yet unmistakable chemistry between each of the leads that grounds each moment.
The vibrant, contrasting colors make the film visually pleasing, though its story ambitions mean not everything is fully realized. Still, with Three Distinct Impressions being Karim’s third outing (initially produced in 2016), it proves to be a wonderful calling card.
"…proves to be a wonderful calling card."
