Strap in for a roving mystery in Nelson Foix’s short ‘Timoun Aw’
Third Horizon Film Festival – ‘Timoun Aw’ works to deliver a thrill but can't hide its tenderness in the chase.
The Guadeloupean thriller, performed in French Creole with English subtitles, starts off with Chris (Sloan Descombes) trapping in his neighborhood. The scene exposes that he’s in debt to some bad actors and isn’t safe. While this sets a good foundation for a lot of Chris’ movements, these stakes aren’t consistently urgent throughout the film. What we get instead is a wonderful softening of a man who’s faced with an impossible mystery that, despite his resistance, transforms him overnight.
Then, a past or regular customer, Lucie, shows up itching for a fix, with no cash. With a flick of the wrist and some choice words, he sends her on her way. Back at his apartment, a knock at the door sets him on high alert, what he finds is a baby in a shopping bag with a cardboard note, “ti moun aw”, which translates to “your kid”. Here begins his campaign for denial. Chris will not accept that this baby belongs to him. He sets out to find the real parents and considers other ways to pass the baby like a baton to someone else. This mystery has no place in his life and he holds firm on this position till almost the very end.
A moment of brilliant art direction is Foix’s use of the shopping bag from the moment Bebe (Kataleya Azede) is introduced to that powerful final scene. It serves much utility, is the source of a lot of confusion, and highlights Chris’ absolute unpreparedness for what this enigmatic mother has foisted on him.
By the time Timoun Aw gets into its rhythm, Foix brings in some hard-to-miss elements that serve to remind the foreign viewer that we are indeed in Guadeloupe. The stride is in step with the moments Chris starts to warm up to his tiny companion – a shift that came with his instinct to protect her.
What was earlier his brash stand-offish reaction to her existence in his world, is now a curiosity and familiarity that eases into his version of affection for Bebe. While Chris won’t be nominated for any Father of the Year awards, it’s evident he has a strong moral compass that guides his decisions all the way to the end when he finally finds Bebe’s mother the next day.
The final sequence is a masterclass in highlighting cinematography and foregoing dialogue to drive home an emotional story that with layers in character development, cultural nuance, and enough unanswered questions to keep the characters on your mind as the credits roll.
‘Timoun Aw’ was screened virtually at the 2021 Third Horizon Film Festival.
