From Omeleto.

A young boy makes a tape.

RECORDING is used with permission from Tanner Bouwhuis. Learn more at https://instagram.com/tanner_bouwhuis.

Charlie is a young boy spending time in his bedroom, fiddling with his reel-to-reel tape recorder and other audio equipment. He’s alone, working on a project, but his mother, Elenor, soon joins him. She talks with him about her concerns: he’s not laughing or smiling as much, and he’s more withdrawn. She offers to go out for ice cream with him, but he declines.

Later, he gets a call from his father, who seems disconnected from the regular routines at home. Their conversation is warm but Charlie remains diffident. But his mysterious audio project soon reveals his true feelings about his family.

Directed and written by Tanner Bouwhuis, this short drama is pared-down and almost minimalistic, with simple, everyday dialogue, just a few characters and one location. Though the narrative scope is compressed, it still generates considerable emotional impact, its simplicity becoming its strength as it focuses intently on one boy’s domestic life. Though his parents are keen to talk, Charlie may not say much, but through the thoughtfully precise writing and direction, his feelings come to the fore in a uniquely powerful way.

The visuals are lived-in and intimate, confined to Charlie’s room, full of equipment for his audio hobby. The cinematography is warm-toned, the framing intimate, all of which allows viewers access to Charlie’s reactions and expressions. He works steadily on his audio project, even when he talks to his parents. Their dialogue is both quotidian and revealing, with both parents seeking a connection with Charlie and fearing a growing distance underneath the reaching out. As Charlie, young performer Steele Robey is understated and natural, but underneath his laconic diffidence, his feelings run deep, and when he finishes his project, the resulting tape reveals the depth of his emotions and the shape of his longing.

Bittersweet and aching at its end, RECORDING is relatable to many who have grown up with tension in the family or longed for parents who are loving and kind with one another. Separations and divorces are a fact of life for many, but the film has a touching honesty about children’s longings for a loving, respectful family, with parents who show care and affection to one another — and model what it means to be in a healthy relationship.