THE STORY:

In Absentia is a short that revolves around the concept of order versus chaos. Amach represents order. He’s well-groomed, concise and professional. Mac represents chaos. He’s passionate, scatter-brained and incredibly idealistic. Faire represents the middle-ground between the two and their surprising similarities and connections. She flip-flops between the two ideals throughout the short, starting more akin to Amach and ending similarly to Mac. More specifically, it centres on the idea of the emotional disconnection behind professionalism and how it affects those that utilise it and come into contact with it. Amach is long disconnected from his emotions in terms of his job and is purely there to get in, do his job, and get out. Mac is adverse to the idea, even sub-consciously. Faire is between the two.

LOGLINE:

Three lawyers debate the complexities of an inheritance case brought forward by a son abandoned at birth.

SYNOPSIS:

A young man abandoned at birth brings an inheritance claim against his father’s estate. Three lawyers debate the legal and ethical complexities of the case. The son’s relatively fresh solicitor approaches the matter with a sense of determination and justice, while the estate’s sharp and cynical representative argues from logic and pragmatism. Observing the proceedings is a young intern, fresh out of law school, who narrates the unfolding events with dry insight, highlighting the tension between procedural logic and the human consequences of absence. As the lawyers sift through documents and transcripts, the case becomes less about money and more about recognition, legacy, and the weight of a father’s absence, culminating in a resolution that affirms the son’s place in a life he was denied.

OUR TEAM:

Director and Writer:

Sean Lazarus

Producer:

Massimo La Verde

Assistant Director:

Carter Hermon

Director of Photography:

Moon Pelekanos

Production Designer:

Cordelia Smith

Editor:

Ted Blundell

Sound Recordist:

Lorin Sen

Composer:

Tom Wilson