Two Tears, written and directed by Josefina Pieres, follows best friends Ginny (Sofia Bela) and Deana (Sydney Goldstein), who are passionate about their ballet class. As they rehearse for their first performance of The Nutcracker, they uncover a curse: a dancer must shed tears of pure emotion, or their future as dancers is threatened. Perplexed by the curse, Ginny and Deana ask their instructor, Miss Maia (Krystal Millie Valdes), who brushes it aside and urges them to embrace the joy of dancing.
The drama runs just 19 minutes but delivers nuanced depth to the young dancers and their teacher. The characterizations surpass many recent full-length films. Ginny and Deana remain distinct but believably close as friends. Miss Maia is gentle, devoted, and genuinely cares for her students.
“Perplexed by the curse, Ginny and Deana ask their instructor, Miss Maia, who brushes it aside…”
Of course, the three leads all shine. Bela captures just how daunting the “curse” is while still radiating fun. Goldstein excels as the supportive friend, and the way her face beams just thinking about ballet is wondrous. Ginny and Deana’s friendship anchors the story, and to cement that as real, the two young actors share an easygoing, spirited charm in their scenes. Valdes grounds every interaction with the child actors, expertly treading the fine line between caring and professionalism.
Two Tears is an effective character-driven piece. The actors are all strong, which is impressive given the leads’ ages. The script is intelligent and gives the three main characters a lot of depth.
"…the characterizations surpass many recent full-length films."
