Afternoon of Dying Trees
Short Films, 03-Dec-2024
A man traverses a series of pastoral landscapes to his childhood home where he finds his sister packing their parents' belongings. Brothers Dakota Mina Fox and Dylan Pailes-Friedman co-direct “Afternoon of Dying Trees,” a grainy meditation on delusional and dwindling memories. As Calvin moves through lush meadows and country landscapes, an even older man, wearing nothing but underwear and a long beard, shadows his movement. Upstairs at the house, Calvin encounters his mute sister while she packs old belongings. Opposite to his sister, the aging soul begins to fling old mementos against the ground and out the window, fueling a rage as material ornaments shatter on the floor. From the perspective of Calvin, it’s a sullen view of reconciling with fragments from the past that are both physical and not. The observation is visually serene but emotionally jarring. -JM. Directors: Dakota Mina Fox, Dylan Pailes-Friedman. Cast: Jack Farrell, Jennifer Delora, Henry William Oelkers. Writers: Dakota Mina Fox, Dylan Pailes-Friedman. Producers: Rebeccah Pailes-Friedman, Jennifer Delora, Anna Lawrence, Brydie O’Connor, Dakota Mina Fox, Dylan Pailes-Friedman. DP: Alex Huggins. Editors: Dakota Mina Fox, Dylan Pailes-Friedman. Sound Design and Mix: Eli Cohn, Jack Sasner.