February 28, 2011

The A-Word - 2010

Director: Lindsay Ellis

"Please do not assume my decision was easy." In the fall of 2009, Lindsay Ellis, a 26-year old graduate student went through the painful process of having an abortion. The A Word follows Ellis as she opens up to her family and organizations from both sides of the debate, in search of healing. This is not a film about the protests and debates wrapped up in religious views and political agenda, but rather a personal journey about one woman’s struggle to shed the stigma attached to abortion in hopes of starting a dialogue.

Anyone familiar with the face of Ellis before now likely knows her as the Nostalgia Chick, an online commenter of movies and television from the halcyon days of yore. However, this documentary short proves beyond a shadow of a doubt that she is destined to become a great name in the industry. Ellis is able to do something in 25 minutes that many filmmakers go a lifetime without accomplishing: sharing something extremely close to her heart with the huddled masses. And as promised, she does so with no slant whatsoever, a stunning accomplishment for a documentary related to such a controversial topic. Unlike many student films, the production value was also more than adequate, so nearly every facet of this short was dead-on. My only problem was that there simply wasn't enough; I would gladly watch a feature version of this, if indeed enough additional footage exists to make that a reality. I can't wait to see what Ellis's career has in store for eager audiences everywhere.

Anyone interested in further information about this film can either go to the director's blog (specifically this post) or the official site here.

No comments:

Post a Comment