2023 HOLLYSHORTS FILM FESTIVAL REVIEW!
After Russia invaded Ukraine, the world changed. Parents hugged their children just a little bit tighter, people better appreciated the things they have, and for those that were in Ukraine when it all went to hell, their lives were affected on a much greater level. Galyna (Daria Panchenko) is one of those people whose life was turned upside down. As she waits for her husband, Oleg (Ivantiy Novak) to cross the border into Poland with their child, she receives terrible news. It’s just A Day in February, but things have changed.
A Day in February is a short film that takes a tad longer than expected to develop–but that adds to the suspense and the intensity of the film. Simple, but deafening sounds transcend the opening moments of the film, and as viewers are forced to sit there attempting to understand what Galyna is doing and thinking, we are sucked into a world that is harrowing and dark. It’s so interesting that Director Klaas Diersmann and Writer Alexandra Bahiyyih Wain are able to create suspense and have us pulled into Galyna’s story before we know anything about her, before we even hear her speak for the first time. There’s effectively no exposition in the first few minutes of A Day in February, there’s nothing to provide information–only a sense of intensity that reaches out and aggressively grabs viewers by the neck, strangling them until we finally understand what’s happening.
The only context we are given is the date, February 25, 2022. To many of us, that date might not mean anything. I know that when I saw the date I knew it would be important to the narrative, but I wasn’t sure why. It hadn’t dawned on me yet what A Day in February was about–but as piece after piece is subtly given to use in the second half of the film, everything begins to make sense. Subtlety is the key here.
There’s a juxtaposition of aggressiveness and subtlety that exists in Galyna’s conversation with her husband Oleg. The two yell back and forth, vaguely explaining the details of what is taking place in Ukraine at the time. Viewers are tasked with piecing some things together on their own, and using their own knowledge of the things that have transpired in Eastern Europe in order to understand the narrative. Aggressiveness allows viewers to understand Galyna’s situation; it allows us to feel what she feels–and the subtlety of what Diersmann and Wain bring to life through the dialogue forces us to play along. Viewers are very much a part of A Day in February. It oddly feels like we have some skin in the game, and that heightens each and every second of this film.
Through the expositional moments of A Day in February viewers see a series of wider shots that showcase Galyna’s entire environment. But as the film progresses things become far more intimate, and the shots get tighter and tighter. We are forced to see Galyna, only Galyna–and the emotion that she exudes in these moments are harrowing, accessible, and perfect. As the film progresses and the story becomes more clear, Panchenko is tasked with more and more–but she’s also given more opportunity to showcase her talents. It’s hard to say that her acting is simple, but it feels like the best way to explain what she does throughout. She doesn’t go to extremes, even in the most extreme moments of the film, and as a result of this she remains accessible. A Day in February relies heavily on what Panchenko is able to accomplish with her acting, and she delivers.
There’s a lot going on in this film, more than initially meets the eye; and as viewers try to dissect what is taking place throughout the course of A Day in February, Diersmann and Wain give them very little, only what’s absolutely necessary. Through a combination of aggressive and subtle tactics A Day in February comes to life with incredible passion, and I don’t think you’ll find many people who don’t love this film.
Directed by Klaas Diersmann.
Written by Alexandra Bahiyyih Wain.
Starring Daria Panchenko, Ivantiy Novak, Radoslaw Charun, & Sara Odeen-Isbister.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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