From Omeleto.
A mindfulness teacher is robbed at gunpoint.
GREY is used with permission from Glenn Berkenkamp. Learn more at https://linktr.ee/glennkamp.
Grey is sitting in a parking lot at night, taking a break and answering texts from his wife about their sick young child. His moment is interrupted, however, when a young man with a gun comes up to the car, intending to rob him.
Grey is startled and unnerved, but he keeps his composure as he redirects the young man from violence. With his training as a mindfulness teacher, Grey skillfully guides the interaction to something startlingly reflective and soulful. Their conversation leads to a turning point in both of their lives — one that shows the power of presence and the ability to see the people in our lives fully, however briefly we encounter them.
Directed and written by Glenn Berkenkamp, this thoughtful short drama is almost minimal at first glance. There’s one location and two actors, and most of the dramatic momentum comes from the compelling dialogue and performances, with the camerawork and visuals relatively pared-down. But as Grey de-escalates the confrontation, tamping down the volatility, it allows the story’s rich and unusual thematic content to come to the fore, gently provoking a level of thoughtfulness in receptive viewers.
The film is essentially a conversation, an exchange sparked by desperation and threat. Grey is wary of the desperate young man, but rather than react with fear and counter threat with violence, he chooses to take in the situation as it’s happening with calmness. That moment of pause allows Grey to be fully present. From there, Grey parlays his ability to stay in the moment to calm the volatile young man in front of him, both by regarding and talking to him with a sense of humanity and sharing his own experiences with him.
As Grey, actor Gene Mocsy has the weathered demeanor of someone who has been through much and found wisdom in it. He touches upon Grey’s experiences that shaped who he was, establishing common ground with the young man, played by actor Sam Skolnik with an edge of desperation, a hint of self-loathing at what he has become and skepticism that Grey maintains an equilibrium in a dangerous situation. This cracks him open just a bit, allowing Grey to teach him just a bit about mindfulness, stillness and discernment — just enough to help the young man take a different course and perhaps change his life.
Absorbing, wise and heartfelt, the drama of GREY comes from not just the circumstances of a man being held up in a robbery, but the underlying emotional arc of one person using their mental discipline to defuse the situation, and, in doing so, teach someone in need of it himself. In that exchange, both ad-hoc teacher and student connect and grow, seeing one another not just as their roles but as people. They’re able to give and receive generosity and kindness — and perhaps, in the process, become a little more whole.
