After (1998)

Subtle, detailed and quietly moving, this short film from Canada is ambitious in its scope but manages a fresh contribution to an enormous subject within the format of a short film. It sheds light on the dilemma of returning veterans who continued battling off the field and into their homes; struggling to come to terms with emotional scars in a period that lacked the language or awareness to deal with psychological matters. A strong lead performance, restrained, confident direction along with period detail and a visual style make the short stand alongside most feature films. Unfortunately, the theme of soldiers' return journey from war continues to be relevant from ancient wars into our present time. This little film seems to understand and empathize with the cost of war even at its most noble.