Father and Daughter Face the Silence

Read Time:4 Minute, 43 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Synthesize Me
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Genre: Drama, Music, Short
Year Released: 2025
Runtime: 15m
Director(s): Bear Damen
Writer(s): Bear Damen
Cast: Ivana Plantier, Antonio Trejo Sánchez, Diana Ríos, Lorena Rodriguez
Where to Watch: shown at the 2025 SXSW Film Festival and Palm Springs Film Festival

RAVING REVIEW: SYNTHESIZE ME proves that fifteen minutes can be expansive when emotion and metaphor are intertwined. Dutch-Indonesian filmmaker Bear Damen crafts a deeply personal story framed within the world of a grieving family. Set in a town near Mexico City in the late 80s, the film channels the instability of its setting into a potent metaphor for human relationships. At its heart is Violeta, a teenager played with energy and quiet sorrow by Ivana Plantier, who uses her late mother’s neglected synthesizers as a lifeline to memory.

The setup is simple yet layered. A widowed father, played by Antonio Trejo Sánchez, works as an electrical maintenance worker, someone who spends his life trying to keep the lights on for others. Meanwhile, his daughter seeks solace in the chaos of wires, circuits, and instruments left behind by her mother. Their grief doesn’t manifest in shared mourning but in misaligned coping mechanisms—one seeks stability, the other seeks resonance. It’s a rift many families will recognize, the gap between those who bury themselves in survival and those who chase after fragments of what was lost.

The drama intensifies when Violeta’s musical experiments cause a widespread blackout. What could be played as a dramatic point here instead serves as a visual and narrative metaphor: for one night, everything goes dark, forcing father and daughter to confront what they’ve been avoiding. The blackout becomes less about broken wires and more about their broken communication. This balance between the external and the internal is where SYNTHESIZE ME shines.

Damen’s background in music videos is evident in how he frames sound as a force in its own right. The synthesizers are more than props; they hum with the tension of memory and longing. Each note played by Violeta feels like an invocation, not just of her mother’s presence but of her own need to be seen by her father. The choice of music as a storytelling tool feels earned, not ornamental, and it reinforces the director’s intention: to treat unstable electricity as a metaphor for unstable emotional bonds.

Plantier is extraordinary in the role of Violeta. At only fifteen years old, she demonstrates a level of nuance beyond her years. Her performance grounds the film in vulnerability—her yearning is palpable, her rebellion understandable. It’s the kind of breakout role that lingers with viewers long after the credits. Trejo Sánchez, by contrast, embodies the weary stoicism of a man who can’t quite articulate his pain. His silence is as loud as his daughter’s music, and their tension feels authentic. Supporting roles from Diana Ríos as the Lemonade Lady and Lorena Rodriguez add texture to the town, though this is unmistakably a two-character story.

Shot by Alfonso Herrera Salcedo, the cinematography frames the town with warmth and grit, grounding the short in reality. Salcedo gives SYNTHESIZE ME a visual identity that feels both timeless and fragile. His use of shadow and contrast mirrors the dual themes of connection and disconnection, of light trying to return after darkness. As with many shorts, the brevity comes with limitations. Some viewers may wish for a more in-depth exploration of the father’s inner world or a slower build-up toward reconciliation. The blackout sequence, while powerful, arrives quickly and leaves just as swiftly, making the climax feel more symbolic.

SYNTHESIZE ME hits its target. It captures attention with its artistry, then keeps it with its humanity. It doesn’t pander or over-explain, nor does it attempt to tie grief up neatly. Instead, it offers a glimpse into a fractured relationship, allowing music—often seen as chaotic noise—to serve as the bridge between silence and understanding.

SYNTHESIZE ME succeeds as both allegory and intimate drama. It compresses grief, miscommunication, and reconciliation into a story told through sound, light, and silence. With a standout performance from Ivana Plantier and striking cinematography from Alfonso Herrera Salcedo, the film proves that shorts can carry the same emotional charge as features. A strong, resonant short that thrives on metaphor, emotion, and performance.

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[photo courtesy of COUSCOUS, VIOLETA FILMS]

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