Direction: Kazik Radwanski
Country: Canada
In this winningly assembled account directed and co-written by Canadian Kazik Radwanski, an overburdened 27-year-old daycare worker finds an uncommon way to release the daily pressure caused by a challenging work environment, personal social discomfort and continuous emotional tension.
Co-writer and leading actress Deragh Campbell is excellent as the intriguing Anne who became addicted to skydiving immediately after experiencing it for the first time. Like magic, this liberating practice alleviated considerably all her constraints in life, and she even starts a new relationship with Matt (Matt Johnson of The Dirties), whom she met at her best friend’s wedding party.
What begins as a dispassionate look at a young woman's erratic mood and behavior against her professional life and close relationships (including her mother) soon becomes something far more stirring and emotional. Genuine moments are captured through numerous close-ups and handheld camera, and the story develops intimately like a documentary, with Campbell channeling that typically controlled sense of not-belonging that can explode any time.
Anne at 13,000 Ft. is a smartly written, keenly observant, occasionally hilarious and ultimately moving indie drama that arrives with a refreshing energy, leaving a trail of realistic experiences behind. Having Radwanski and Campbell cramming impressive amounts of characterization and awkward situations into 75 minutes, the film may be small, but I felt it as both emotionally honest and meaningful.
