FILM REVIEW:
MUSIC TO DIE TO (2022)
by Jeremy Julian10/17/2022
In the short film, Music to Die to, our protagonist, Amara (Khali Sykes), is told “death is a part of life, it scares the crap out of me, but it is what it is”. This quote encapsulates the primary theme of this film as it deals with death and its aftermath. In its cinematic language, the film is communicating to us, as an audience, that death is an inevitable occurrence so we shouldn’t be fearful of it. Rather, we should accept it. Both grief and acceptance, when it comes to a loved one passing away, have a ripple effect on different people. Some are able to easily move on, but there are those who become trapped in a state of mourning.
This film is about Amara, and her brother, Marlon, and the film documents how the pair handle the death of their mother. The director, Edem Dotse, seems to be telling a deeply personal story within himself. Regarding the visual essence of the film, there are some lingering shots in the film that attempt to convey a message, that only Dotse himself would be able to truly understand.
“Marlon is told, ‘listen to your light’ as his sister begins to disrupt the moment and he explains to her that their mother is with them, in nature. The film also offers short, but impactful flashbacks of the two siblings with their mother.”
Amara is looking for her brother Marlon as he never showed up to the funeral. At the beginning of the character’s interactions, it is clear that Amara is protective of her brother but she doesn’t understand the way he grieves. Instead of attending his mother’s funeral, he joins a spirituality group and uses nature to try and heal his emotional pain. Marlon (Nelson Nwachukwu), channels those emotions and moments of spirituality, and displays them on screen. Those aspects and themes aren’t only brought out by the writing, but also by the usage of music, sound, and views of nature to bring along its message. Various shots of water, leaves, trees, and flowers help with setting the tone of the film and further push the film's primary narrative. Marlon is told, “listen to your light” as his sister begins to disrupt the moment and he explains to her that their mother is with them, in nature. The film also offers short, but impactful flashbacks of the two siblings with their mother. These flashbacks play a role in Amara’s understanding of her brother’s methods for grief. She begins to understand the ties between nature and death.
Another striking visual element is the lighting and overall, cinematography. The film discovers a great juxtaposition between the energy of death and the beauty, and, the color of nature. Death is often seen as a dark and bleak reminder of our mortality but the film’s use of color helps drive home the message that death can, in fact, be a beautiful thing.
Peace within the inevitable was a takeaway from the work, it is about finding one’s peace within themselves, and in their external environment, as well. Music to Die to is a meaningful look at how grieving is a journey and one that has various paths.
Written by Edem Dotse
Directed by Edem Dotse
Cinematography by Sebastián Valdivieso Jáuregui
Edited by Edem Dotse
Composed by Nathaniel Meeks, Edem Dotse, Derick Fagbohoun, and Edwin Dzobo
Here’s the link to watch the full short film: Music to Die to
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