Caffeine or decaf? A non-consequential question for most people, but not ones who are carrying a child. Thus begins filmmaker Daniel Montanarini’s The Arrival, a film that captures the pivotal moment of a woman’s internal struggle as she decides whether or not to keep a pregnancy that has resulted from a brief sexual fling. ‘Anna’, played by British actress Emily Barber, has arrived to the small cafe to share the news with her lover. She arrives a bit too early though, giving her mind a chance to revisit her decision and letting us listen in to a very personal stream of thought. In a simple, four minute runtime, the film compellingly inspires an emotional connection to its lead, and to our own biological instincts.The film unfolds like a minimalistic play; the cafe is a tiny stage with well blocked actors and a spotlit aside from the lead actress. As Anna contemplates her baby’s fate, the camera slowly moves closer to her. The effect is exceedingly simple, yet powerfully effective. Sound design plays a key role in Anna’s inner monologue, as a baby’s cry as a thunderstorm rages on outside creates the story’s turning point. It’s hard not to be captivated by this woman given how strongly she is framed in the scene, and adding Barber’s British charm over a cappuccino, one is easily smitten.
Montanarini explains the production process: “We wanted to achieve something cinematic, simple and personal. It took a day and a half to rehearse and shoot. We recorded the voice over first and used that as a guide track for the choreography. After the first day of rehearsal the timings were worked out for the extras and the lighting changes. Then we ran it until we got it right. It started to synchronise around about the tenth take.”
Montanarini explains that The Arrival was inspired by a documentary he was working on called All About Mothers, and a photograph of a young woman sitting in a cafe by Alexander Nesterov. All About Mothers explored the relationship between mothers and their children as they discovered they were pregnant, which is perhaps why the story feels so authentic. The photographic inspiration was purely visual in that it moved Montanarini to imagine what the young woman was thinking at the time the photograph was taken. In many ways, The Arrival feels like the unraveling of a photo’s mystery while also evoking a genuine sense of maternal emotion. Despite being directed by a man, the film is true to the female perspective of its protagonist. “Shorts are very good practice for exploring different ways of expression and to be economical with our storytelling. It has been a rewarding experience to release the film straight online so we want to keep the momentum going,” concludes Montanarini.
representation
- Of women and the struggles they face with pregnancy. As well as the anxiety of an unwanted/ unplanned pregnancy.
narrative
- It mostly uses Todorov's theory of equilibrium. In the beginning we think everything is well, then we can hear her thoughts spiralling about an unwanted baby and her decision on coffee. She then decides to have the decaf and is happier and has seemingly found an answer when the man appears.
micro elements
-sound
the dialogue is mainly internal- narrating her thoughts its almost like we're inside her mind (non-diegetic) she is having a conversation with herself about an unplanned pregnancy
-mise-en-scene
costumes- all costumes are typical of the setting, they're very normal.
props- the coffee is an important prop as it's something she is pondering about - whether it should be regular or decaf
location/setting- a coffee shop/ cafe
composition of shot- she is the focus and is sitting with people around her but they're doing their own thing. the camera is often fixed so the composition stays mainly the same.
-editing- It's a slower pace editing at times but then when she is more anxious there is a pace that seems faster. Her spiral where the camera zooms mimics how she is feeling.
-performance- the people in the background are just having their own little conversations and are completely separate from the woman. The woman has quite a nervous energy and we can see through her body language that she is anxious, especially when she knocks over the milk
-cinematography- the first shot is seen through a door that was left open, a waiter closes it and we can clearly see the shot in more detail. This makes us feel closer to the woman as it feels more personal. The camera is fixed but as her thoughts spiral it develops into a close up from a wide shot.
Lighting- goes dark as if she's on a train which could symbolise her 'train of thought' linking back to the narration side. it gets brighter when the man appears and it's as if she's sort of made a decision herself as well. Brighter lighting shows the positivity of her situation.
meanings/ messages
- To trust your instincts and not let something you can't really control take over your thoughts. To wait for rational thinking to happen.
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