‘Upon Her Lips’ returns with new instalment ‘Upon Her Lips: Hold Me Tight’. The newest collection comprises five shorts from around the world that explore women who find themselves in unfamiliar waters. From sleeping with your best friend through to preparing for motherhood, the collection offers an expansive look at issues and situations that women face.
‘Grace and Sophie’ from director Timo Willman opens this collection and it perfectly captures that awkward morning after when two friends have crossed the line. The titular characters interact with one another after sleeping together after a boozy house party. It’s unchartered territory for the two straight-identifying best friends but maybe their sexuality is a little more fluid than they thought? It’s a strong start to the collection and will likely take many a viewer back to their university days.
Enrika Panero takes us to Paris with the second short as Kenza (Mey Ben El Fellah) joins a rap workshop run by Oréade (Calypso Buijtenhuijs). The shy Kenza soon comes out of her shell as her eyes open up to a new world and feelings that she’s never been able to express before. Panero’s short is interesting but for me, it didn’t have the impact that some of the other films here have.
‘Woman Meets Girl’ by director Murry Peeters explores an unlikely interaction between Annabelle (Enuka Okuma), a straight-laced woman in her 40s, and Tessie (Chelsea Russell), a female teenage sex worker. Inviting the young girl into her home, Annabelle ends up revealing more about herself than she intended to and opens the door to a possible intimate connection. The short explores repression and the way that can manifest, and Peeters gives the story plenty of zest.
The penultimate short is Tommy Næss’ touching ‘Noora’, which sees the young titular character (played by Dagny Backer Johnsen) battling her strict Christian upbringing with her feelings for her friend Siv (Sacha Slengesol Balgobin). Those feelings cause issues with her family, who are hoping to marry her off to a much older man but Noora is drawn to Siv and determined to follow the life she wants, rather than the one has been laid out for her. There are some lovely tender moments in this short and it’s definitely one of the more emotional moments.
The collection comes to a close with ‘Expecting’ by director Alice Douard. This poignant film finds Céline (Clotilde Hesme) in the hospital supporting her partner Jeanne (Laetitia Dosch), who is giving birth to their child. Unprepared for the change her life is about to undergo, Céline finds unexpected support in conversations with two men who are in the same situation as her. Film-maker Douard shines a spotlight on the fear that we go through when we’re about to become responsible for a life that’s not our own.
‘Upon Her Lips: Hold Me Tight’ is a strong collection of shorts. It explores a wide range of topics and, as is part for the course for this series, showcases a variety of perspectives and situations. There’s something for everyone here and the range between the shorts is impressive. Add this one to your ‘to watch’ list.
Cast: Molly Moody, Maddie Rice, Mey Ben El Fellah, Calypso Buijtenhuijs, Enuka Okuma, Chelsea Russell, Dagny Backer Johnsen, Sacha Slengesol Balgobin, Clotilde Hesme, Laetitia Dosch Directors: Timo Willman, Enrika Panero, Murry Peeters, Tommy Næss, Alice Douard Certificate: 15 Duration: 95 mins Released by: NQV Media Release date: 25th November 2024 Buy ‘Upon Her Lips: Hold Me Tight’ now
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