Short Film Review: ‘Mesopotamia, TX’ – A Serendipitous Encounter Under the Eclipse

As strange as the world may be, the universe has a remarkable way of reminding us to embrace the present and make the most of every moment.

I believe this is something captured in this creative short film ‘Mesopotamia, TX‘ by Lucy Gamades. It tells the story of two random people meeting unexpectedly at a moment that captures one of the universe’s spectacular moments, a solar eclipse.

Starring Nicky Maindiratta and Megan Greener, the film with its about 20-minute runtime details the opportune moments when two strangers are brought together by their shared interest to witness a rare celestial event. The story is set in Texas and the choice of location itself becomes a character in the film with a diverse crowd of Texans in the background. But as simple as the film feels, it appears to be more than that in its enate themes and possible messages.

All of these themes and potential messages are captured in the silence as well as the dialogue that appears to be casually shared between the characters at the centre of the story. Lucy Gamades still manages to keep it all simple like the story itself. She also seems to have cast the right pair for the film. Nicky Maindiratta and Megan Greener, have performances that feel effortless, their dialogue and body language carrying a natural spontaneity. The two actors share an unscreen chemistry that almost reveals that there could be an already existing familiarity between them before the characters start rolling. But it could also simply mean that they are very good actors.

But this also captures the unpolished beauty of two people sharing a moment that neither of them could have predicted. Something that many people including myself can relate to and often crave. It’s the kind of interaction that feels real almost serendipitous.

One other thing that you would notice also about the film is that it was made on the day of an actual solar eclipse. You might be tempted to think that it was a story that came by chance, but it does feel very intentionally made. Lucy Gamades and her team behind the film deserve some acknowledgement for being intentional about making a film like this, particularly with the event of the solar eclipse in mind.

Visually, the film is just as understated yet but feels very intentional. Shot entirely on 16mm, the cinematography gives the film a grainy, nostalgic feel, reinforcing its timeless, almost dreamlike quality. The eclipse itself becomes more than just a background spectacle. The dusty hilly Texan landscape also presents the perfect canvas on which to paint the film’s extension of the film’s introspective themes.

I will score this ‘Mesopotamia, TX‘ 3.5 out of 5 stars. It is a film that reminds us of living in and enjoying the moment because everything seems fleeting. And also that the universe sometimes aligns and allows us to have very meaningful, unexplainable interactions with others.

Even though it works so much as a short, I believe it is still feature-length worthy as it leaves you interested still in the lives of the characters.