“Juliana and the Medicine Fish” by Jeremy Torrie

“Juliana and The Medicine Fish” seems to be a coming of age story but gradually in vision, it seems to sink into something bigger and more important. It is not only the complex and moving path of the maturation of a child, but a unique and profound portrait of the soul of people. 12-year-old Juliana Reid’s life is turned upside down by the loss of her mother. The film accompanies the viewer on a delicate journey between despair, joy, the sense of loss and the slow reconstruction of trust. Jeremy Torrie’s directorial talent is evident and is confirmed by his writing skills. The story is a family drama which, thanks to the depth of the dialogues, becomes a sort of “epic of feelings”. The narrative construction is evocative, in the simplicity of its movements and cinematography, and Jeremy Torrie’s camera seems to capture emotions and events with a discreet gaze.

The tenderness with which the director approaches the characters is evident in every aspect. The pure, naive and instinctive perspective of a little girl then reveals new and moving aspects of the complex world of adults, laying bare the deepest fears and pains that often hide under silence. This totally true, crystalline gaze allows the viewer to empathize with the characters at all levels in the narration, transforming the film into something more. The director immerses the human affairs of these people among splendid natural landscapes, which contribute to giving the film a universal and eternal sense. The story comes to touch the strings of any spirit and this nature becomes a wonderful metaphor, of how life is predestined to always reach new balances against any adversity.
The actors embellish Torrie’s beautiful screenplay and the grace and lightness of certain shots will remain memorable.