The Clue Leads Us on a Quest for a Surprisingly Precious Treasure
The Clue is written and directed by Judie Feenstra and stars Nathalie Pownall as Noa. When the film starts, we are immediately introduced to Noa. Everything is grey, she wears grey, the decor is grey, every day is cloudy, and life is monotonous. This all changes when she gets an invitation to coffee from an anonymous host and embarks on a treasure hunt for something unknown.
The washed-out color pallet in the opening act reinforces the solemness of Noa’s drab life. This is a woman without passion, without warmth, and without color in her world. Through the use of color in the film we see how the journey is impacting Noa. The grey disappears and Noa becomes surrounded by color.
The pacing of this film is executed marvelously. The quickly changing frames and evolving music creates an air of intrigue. While you’re watching you’re left on the edge of your set wondering where Noa is heading and will it all turn out ok for her in the end.
What makes this short film unique is that there is zero spoken dialogue. That such a captivating story could be told without speech is a huge testament to the acting prowess of Nathalie Pownall. She tells us everything we need to know about who Noa is and what she is feeling through her facial expressions and mannerisms effortlessly. It’s truly amazing.
The Clue is a film that shows us that treasure isn’t always what we expect to find. It teaches us that sometimes, the trick is to know how to recognize it when you do. Judie Feenstra has truly given a gift to the world with this movie.
Synopsis:
A girl who lives a very ordinary life one day finds a mysterious note with an invitation to go on an adventure. She goes on a treasure hunt where she finds clues that lead her to different places, unraveling a mystery that turns out different than expected.
