I rarely find myself watching short films as I often prefer the deep, expansive stories of feature films from Hollywood and beyond, however if most short films are near a shadow of Philia then I have clearly been ignoring a gold mine. Starring, Written and Directed by Chloe Callow and Katherine Grace, Philia is a tender old Hollywood style piece about two old friends navigating life as a woman in the 1920s. The two play Dana and Veronica, two close friends whose relationship is tested by a revelation about Veronica’s boyfriend, evolving into a spout between the two, who have conflicting views on their role in society. With only a 9 minute run time, Philia touches on prejudices against women, sex workers and the morality of bringing a daughter into a world that will try its best to suffocate her. Such complex topics are deftly woven into one conversation with grace, mixing appropriately heightened melodrama accurate to the period as well as natural performances and delivery.
After a near decade-long friendship, Callow and Grace found it fitting that their first short film together should be about a deep connection between friends. On the connection between their characters and selves, the two were “determined to write a script that reflected what we’ve directly experienced as women. A lot of what happens in the film has also happened to us, in one form or another.” As well as lamenting having to tell the same cliched stories about women’s struggles, and the film’s period setting excels in cementing this point, as the pair said themselves: “The struggles of our heroines could have taken place yesterday or a century ago [and] there is a strong likelihood that a century from now we might still be talking about the same problems.”
The film uses gorgeous black-and-white photography, classic Hollywood opening title cards and delicate use of lighting and shadow to entrench you in the setting. The film’s visual language is striking, with the ever-hopeful Veronica adorned a beautiful white dress and radiant light and the more cynical Dana dampened by shadow and a black nightgown. This intricate stylisation makes for an immersive viewing experience and heightens the drama of the pair’s conflict. Philia is a stunning snapshot of female friendship in a time where two women form an almost co-dependant relationship due to being each other’s only support in a world that they struggle to thrive in. Heartfelt performances, an electric script and a clear love for the art of filmmaking make Philia a short that I will surely find myself watching over and over in the future.
You can find Philia on the Australian Cultural Fund.