What could you possibly say in a film that is only four minutes long?  Well, if it’s a film by Jesse Burks, the sky is the limit!  In his newest short film, he continues to astound viewers with his unusual story-telling techniques and his ability to surprise you.  Two of his previous films, “One Please” and “Cured,” were gruesomely shocking and funny.  But “That Unusual Brick” shows us that Burks has many more ideas and tricks up his creative sleeve.

We find our main character (Harley Burks) in an upscale sushi cafe, beautifully appointed with warm brick and wood decor.  It’s obvious that this man is extremely neurotic when it comes to order as he rearranges, ever so slightly, the angle of his chopsticks and the symmetry and balance of the cups on the table.  When his food is presented, a little askew of course, he once again makes sure to put things in order, but before he can take his first bite, order is completely thrown off with a tap, tap, tap behind the brick wall.  What he discovers is bizarrely unexpected and mind-boggling with a reaction that is equally odd.

Burks’ has such a keen eye for taking an ordinary situation and making it different, sometimes visually jarring and in this case, conceptually conflicting.  His perspective, particularly in “The Unusual Brick” is as much of the story as the main character, giving a certain depth to the story that is wonderfully rich.  The cinematography utilizes a camera angle that seats us at the table across from this young man, allowing us to not only observe his strange obsession with precision, but to experience it.

This is a dialogue-free film, but it is far from silent.  The music is also a character, giving us the right emotion to feel at each turning point in the film.  The whimsical nature soon turns to unease, as the music stops and we hear only the din of the diners and the tapping behind the wall.  Burks’ astute awareness of the emotional power of music and his attention to detail in sound effects creates the precision of a seasoned filmmaker.

Harley Burks fine tunes his perfectionistic character, paying close attention to subtle expressions and body language.  While he utters not a word, he is very bold in what he communicates.

Color also communicates so much in this film.  It’s bright, clear and crisp with bold colors sharply on display in both the foreground and background…until we see what’s behind the wall.  The colors change perfectly capturing the feeling of the scene.

Burks finds another winner with “That Unusual Brick.”  It’s gorgeously shot, expertly acted, creatively written and executed, and all with such attention to detail,  allowing an unexpected story to unfold in just four short minutes.  This striking and captivating style of filmmaking is a hallmark of Burks’ work.

Dinesh Sabu was orphaned at the age of 6.  His 4 siblings and he raised one another and now, more than two decades later, Sabu confronts his past in the film “Unbroken Glass.”  The film  allows Sabu an opportunity to  gain an understanding of his parents,  currently nothing more than a faded memory, but more importantly, his mother’s mental illness of schizophrenia.

Watch the trailer here

Sabu interviews  his siblings and extended family, asking difficult questions about issues that have been long swept under the rug.  Immediately, we feel the pain each of the 5 children experienced with the loss of their parents and the difficulty in acknowledging and understanding schizophrenia.  While Sabu discovers more and more about his ancestry, we not only see him experience an awakening, but also the pain associated with understanding.

Interestingly, each of the siblings have a different perception of their parents and a different capability of confronting the past.  While Sabu appears to find a healing quality in the truth uncovered and recovered,  another sibling finds suffering.  Sabu’s two older sisters also paint a very unique picture of  life before the apparent onset of their mother’s illness and what life was like after.  Through their eyes and their memories, we gain knowledge of what it was like to have a parent with a mental illness.  The sacrifices these two very young women made in order to keep their family together is nothing short of extraordinary.  Survival and resiliency is at the core of this orphaned family and their journey in life is still affected by what happened.

While the specific illness of schizophrenia may not directly impact your life, the concept of identity, loss, and the need to understand our roots is common among us all.  It is with Sabu’s story that we find compassion and understanding as well as admiration for all of these brave children, now adults.  With Sabu’s  creative and candid filmmaking style , we are able to walk along side him in this emotionally raw expedition.  He is remarkably honest as he shares his personal struggles and stories and we see his courageous humanity.

“Unbroken Glass” is an honest view of family trauma caused by mental illness through the eyes of the children.   Sabu’s personal story opens old wounds and creates new ones, however, the film is curative as well, allowing a healing and understanding about family and the need for connections.  It’s something to which we can all identify.

Be sure to see “Unbroken Glass” at the Gene Siskel Film Center, 164 N. State St., Chicago beginning February 17 through the 23rd.  For more information, go to www.siskelfilmcenter.org/unbrokenglass

Listen to the interview with Sabu here