In the Campfire light (2019)

Director: Samantha Michelle

Writer: Samantha Michelle

Starring: Steven Brand, Sarah Rich, Alison Fraser, Chrissie Capobianco, Torsten Johnson, Madeline Ruskin

An ex-ballerina joins an acting class conducted by a very charismatic teacher. As she explores training as an actor, and pursues her new ambition, she becomes closer and closer to her new mentor, who harbors desires of his own.

In the Camp Fire Light is a new short film which written and directed by Samantha Michelle which looks to take a deeper look at a scenario reflective of events related to the #MeToo movement. Whereas much of the press and social media focus on the actual incident or assault, In the Camp Fire Light takes a look at the moments that lead up to the incident.

Elizabeth (Sarah Rich) is an ex-ballerina who following a recommendation decides to join an acting class run by charismatic teacher Derek (Steven Brand). Whilst attending the class Elizabeth gradually becomes drawn into the world of acting, developing a new drive as she begins to pursue a new ambition. Inspired by her teacher Derek, Elizabeth becomes willing to do what whatever it takes to succeed but blinded by her own desires she fails to see that her teacher has a different agenda of his own.

Rather than just portraying the events which depict Derek as someone taking advantage of Elizabeth, the film takes a look at all of the various factors involved and the various elements which bring them together. Derek may be the one abusing his power, but he is not alone in his actions.

The script and direction by Samantha Michelle intentionally hold back on giving too much away as to not spoon feed the audience, leaving the events open to the viewer to interpret and analyse. Following my initial viewing I instantly began to reflect on the events, uncovering various subtexts which I hadn’t initially noticed whilst watching. Seemingly innocent conversations and words of comfort from characters such as Charlie (Madeline Ruskin) on reflection has a very different intention to how they were initially perceived.

Charlie may have been the start of events, but during her time in the class it is interesting how Elizabeth is gradually manipulated. It overlaps with Derek’s normal teaching methods but he also exploits Elizabeth’s desire to thrive, using an element of indoctrination which is used make her comply.

Steven Brand delivers an excellent performance as Derek and is brilliantly engaging when addressing his the students as he instils a mantra of the importance of commitment – you can’t just try, you need to do whatever it takes to succeed. During an early speech to the class Derek adds enthesis to repetition as a key to really believing in the words you are saying, so depending on your point of view it could be perceived that the monologue given to Elizabeth is used to fuel her own desires for acting. We learn early on in the film that acting is something which she is looking to try, a new focus after leaving a commitment to ballet for so many years. Elizabeth’s’ monologue depicts a person who wants to be recognised as an actress which she is passionate about pursuing and learning this helps to instil that mindset and a drive to be an actress.

It is during a flashback sequence where we first learn that is is Derks assistant Charlie, who after meeting Elizabeth suggests that she joins the class.  It initially seems like an innocent proposition, but as mentioned before when you begin to reflect back on the language there is already a suggestion of something deeper in the motive than just encouragement. It is clear during this meeting that Elizabeth has a slight insecurity with herself which we can assume makes her the ideal choice.

There are good performances throughout the cast, although it is the two leads of Steven Brand and Sarah Rich who really stand out, especially during their moments on stage. Steven brilliantly captures your attention when he is addressing the class and has you listening to every word. Part of this is to do with Steven’s presence in his delivery, but it is made all the more engaging with the visual execution. The handheld camera adding a more unstable free-flowing movement to the scene, whilst the unpredictable editing and constant change in angles grab your attention as they occur deliberately out of sync with the dialogue. The visual style makes the scene more engaging than a static camera, with the movement drawing you into the moment without distracting from the dialogue.

Sarah Rich delivers a variety of emotions in her performance but underlines her desperate desire to become ‘somebody’, a theme which the film suggests is driven by her parents. With her lifelong passion for ballet coming to an end, the opportunity to become an actress becomes her new objective to succeed. My favourite scene perfectly sums this up when Elizabeth delivers a passionate monologue about becoming an actress, in which we get a glimpse into the inspiration behind the speech and who it is directed towards.

There isn’t much music used, however when country style music is introduced it works perfectly to compliment the performances. This works especially well during montage scene in which we see the various actors and actresses rehearsing, before an interaction between Derek and Elizabeth. When it moves to Derek and Elizabeth we are unable to hear the initial part of the conversation, which is overplayed by the soundtrack. This works brilliantly as without hearing the words it forces you to focus on the emotions of the characters, especially with the reactions of Elizabeth in the way she responds to Derek.

In the Camp Fire may only deal with the initial preceding events, but it still delivers quite an impact as the end credits roll with the song “I’m on Fire”. It is an intelligent short film from Samantha Michelle which leaves the story open to interpretation, offering so many understated elements and grey areas that challenges the viewer to put the pieces together.

Philip Rogers

Published in various websites, Philip is a reviewer who is best known for his interviews and media coverage of independent projects including; films, books, theatre and live events. Always on the lookout for something different to cover!