Echo

“A lot should be said about the direction Southwell took this story as it’s very original…”

Alice is a grieving childless mother. Her deepest desire is to be with her lost child. Alice's grief manifests itself as Echo - a much wanted but imagined memory.

Director and writer Jo Southwell’ poignant and emotional fantasy Echo is one that will pull on your emotions and leave you wanting more. It’s a captivating story that draws you in and delivers a powerful message in such a way that’s both original and emotive. With stunning visuals and a great story, Echo will certainly leave a positive impact on audiences.

Southwell takes on the topic of losing a child in a unique way by embracing the fantasy genre and opening up many new paths to go down creatively. This makes for an intriguing take on a story that other filmmakers would play safe with a typical hard hitting drama as seen time and time again. By capturing the fantasy element, it accurately infuses the film with a sense on innocence and wonder that makes for a more powerful connection with lead character and her grief. So a lot should be said about the direction Southwell took this story as it’s very original.

The topic of the film is a challenging one to do well given the over saturation of short film dramas. Luckily Southwell put together an incredible team of filmmakers to capture the story and help elevate the production quality, making this film stand out. The writing is subtle and not spelt out to the audience, relying instead on striking and intimate visuals that really capture the lead characters turmoil.

Our lead character Alice, played by the talented Lizzie Aaryan-Stanton takes on the role with sincerity and genuine emotion without overstating the performance. Aaryan-Stanton was perfectly cast for this and delivers a powerful performance, but also excels in the underwater scenes that are hauntingly beautiful. The voice of ‘Echo’ played by Lorelei Southwell is incredibly sweet and genuinely playful, making for a realistic performance that plays off Aaryan-Stanton well.

The cinematography by Alexander Bieraugel and Mike Valentine is striking and really adds value to the film that would otherwise have struggled without such an experienced pair of eyes behind the lens. The VFX also blends in well with the visuals and doesn’t look out of place, which is impressive considering that it’s used a lot throughout the film. As mentioned already, the underwater scenes really work and allows for some dramatic moments. Filming sequences like this are not simple to execute, but the results are outstanding and is down to the experienced and talented production team.

The score from Rupert E. Smith perfectly compliments the film and genre. It weaves into the story and captures a childish sense of wonder and innocence that really amplifies the drama of the film but most importantly the tone. Even though it’s a dark subject, the score helps to keep this film grounded and magical.

This film was a delight to watch and feels like a real passion project from Southwell as it’s such a dramatic subject. What’s unique is how it was told and visualised onscreen in such an imaginative way…

— APEX Film Awards