‘Last First’ takes the audience into the world of grief as a mother and daughter scatter the ashes of their son and brother. Filmed almost entirely on a small boat, the drama explores pivotal themes such as mental health, loss and guilt. We learn of the suicide and the responsibility they both feel towards his passing, but the story is generally uplifting and at times comical.
Directed by Kate Strafford from a script by Martin Keady, this low budget short film achieves its purpose in its message of letting go – delicately captivating the emotional complexities that grief bestow on people. Narratively the film holds strong, unfortunately the cinematography and loose editing weaken its charm. Kaitlin Cusack (Mary) delivers a praiseworthy performance – particularly during her vocal rendition of ‘Amazing Grace’. Érin Geraghty (Loretta) rewards us with moments of comic relief and emotional vulnerability. These two female leads make a solid partnership and evidently support each other’s qualities on screen.
‘Last First’ would benefit from coat of colour correction to fix moments of over-exposure that are visually distracting. The sound, particularly the background noise, is at times unmatched from shot-to-shot – a challenging obstacle most filmmakers come across when shooting outdoors. Overall, the 12-minute drama has a lot to offer and a lot of heart.
