Lynne Ramsay’s graduating short ‘Small Deaths’ (1999) explores the cyclical nature of a woman’s familial relationships – particularly with men – through three brief evocative episodes. Why tell it in this manner?

The script is constructed as a three-part vignette of memories. The first, ‘Ma and Da’, depicts a young girl’s ache and comprehension of an emotionally distant father. The second, ‘Holy Cow’ – a teenager and her sister encounter the brutal activities of young boys. The third, ‘Joke’ – a young adult embarrassed by the friends of her partner. My interpretation of the theme is the repetition of mistreatment and its impact on a person. Telling the three stories with such distinction reflects the nature of the protagonist’s episodic memory – feeding this theme. What we remember is what we become. The theme is further expressed through other key production elements such as cinematography, edit and sound design.

Shallow depth of field provides Ramsay with the tool to be visually selective, much like memory. The ‘haziness’ of the blur; the viewpoint of the protagonist at a very young age. The vibrance – and lack thereof – of colour and tonal range allude to the protagonist’s attitudes toward these memories. As a teenager, the world is bright, bold, colourful. As an adult the world is mundane, monotone. The difference reflects one memory’s impact on the other.

Jump cuts further emphasise the idea of repetitive memories, perhaps the idea of suppressing them. The mismatch between the visuals and sound design offer a clever way of combining episodic memory with sensory memory. A common thread in each story is the non-diegetic auditory presence of children. As the third episode concludes, we hear a baby crying. The cycle continues.

I would love to create a short film that presents a theme in such a thought-provoking, suggestive way. Ramsay’s mastery of the art of short film inspires me to approach future work in an innovative way, away from the mainstream formula.