One Too Many Tear
Directed by: Paul de Métairy | Reviewed by: Adva Reichman
‘One Too Many Tear’ is a short film that asks the people of this world to try harder and save themselves and our earth from those who wish it harm.
In the film, a young man arrives at a Christian church and finds an important box containing the old way of the Cross. He aligns the images but does so in an incorrect order and can’t make sense of them. Suddenly, the voice of Christ appears and offers help. Acted by the same actor, Christ explains the images to the young man and reveals what really transpired during his final days.
The young man listens and questions the worth of Christs’ sacrifice.
They list the wars and inquisitions, done by and for his name and show how mankind lost its way. Now, Christ explains, the world is facing a dangerous environmental change that will eventually lead to its end.
He asks the young man to step up and fight for the people. To save them.
Will the young man rise to the challenge?
You’ll have to watch to find out.
Angel Lesage, who plays both the young man and Jesus Christ, does so with such charm and subtlety, it immediately draws you in. The message is clear, and the craft is intriguing. The colors stand out as a warning sign, and the music enhances the drama.
Even though we know the heartbreaking story behind Jesus’ death, it’s interesting to see the pain the filmmaker assumes he would have today, witnessing the same violence over and over. Questioning when and if it will stop. The director kept the short film simple, yet revealed it all, and didn’t shy away from harder moments.
The director explains the importance of speaking up against terror, and painfully remembers a photo of a young boy playing on the beach, mere hours before he died in a terror attack. This film sets out to stop the atrocities and promote what should be a basic right – to live freely.
The director, Paul de Métairy, a French 80-year-old filmmaker, created the film as a final statement to the world. A final ask to be better, and to stop using religion as an excuse for bloodshed. The director speaks heavily against terror executed in the name of God, and wishes terrorists start questioning the reasoning behind their actions, motives, and outcomes. Clarifying that God wants harmony, love, and peace. He stresses that “even if this film deters only one, it will achieve its goal.”
And so, we are left to see if the message of love and peace echoes loud enough and manages to overcome darkness.
Adva Reichman is an Israeli writer-director based in Los Angeles; her latest film, Something to Live For deals with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and was screened at prestigious festivals. While in Israel, she worked in the Israeli news and on documentaries that revolved around major terror attacks and kidnappings that took place in Israel during the 70’s and 80’s. She is a graduate of the TV & Film Production MFA program at USC School of Cinematic Arts.
