“Patrick” by Adam Swain Ferguson

In “Patrick” the contemporary urgency is mixed with a classic and refined cinematographic style. The story, human, warm and engaging, tells the deep concerns of a man grappling with his feelings and his sexual identity. “Patrick” is an intimate story therefore, introspective, which however manages to speak to numerous generations. It is easy to empathize with David, the protagonist, and find in him the weaknesses and needs of each of us. This search for one’s sexual freedom takes place through courage and self-acceptance, and carries with it a message of fundamental importance for contemporary society. All the more so if the clash does not occur only with oneself but with the mentality of an entire conservative and uncompromising society. After all, “Patrick” speaks of a battle, which we are all called to fight for ourselves and for the world in which we live.

But the film is not just a social criticism. In fact, a moving human tension runs through it, well built by Caitlin Williams, the screenwriter of the short film. Adam S. Ferguson, with great delicacy manages to give the text a real dimension, made up of bodies, faces and feelings, which touch the most sensitive strings of our soul. The emotional strength of the film also emerges thanks to the clarity and sobriety of the aesthetic system, which is never overloaded or superfluous, but elegant and crystalline. Ferguson therefore gave us a film with a thousand shades, which can be appreciated from multiple perspectives. This is because it was done with sincerity, without hypocrisy or forcing. “Patrick” is therefore pure expression of a human soul. Also for the strength and precision with which Ferguson has been able to transmit his vision, we can consider this film a gem in the panorama of short films.