Alfa (Desiree Del Valle) is a documentary filmmaker. Her latest documentary leads her to investigate the mysterious disappearances of the first born children of a small island community. She takes her son Luni (Carl Palaganas) with her. It's clear the two of them have an acrimonious relationship, thanks in part to their own personalities. But when Luni disappears, Alfa looks back on her relationship with her son as she tries to find him.
Medusae is unlike anything I've ever seen either in local or international cinema. It's a weird fairy-tale like amalgamation of symbols, mysticism and even biology. It tries to parse the divide between mother and child through Alfa's self-examination. It talks of bereavement and acceptance; it talks of love even in the worst relationships between mother and child.
That said, the film largely feels incomplete. The sound design is off; with dialogue sometimes sounding canned or muddy. While Luni's disappearance does lead to a bit of contemplation, Alfa's campaign to search for her son isn't as extensive as I would expect, though to be fair aside from asking the locals there really isn't much one can do but wait. Ultimately the film feels like a work in progress, and it would probably be a good idea to look back at the film once it's more polished than it is now.
Medusae is a fascinating film full of creative, original ideas. Its final moments are mysterious, a sensory cipher that bewilders and haunts. Yet, unfortunately, it is weighed down by certain aspects of its production.
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