On a snowy New Year’s night in Chicago, a young homeless couple – wrapped in coats, scarves, and each others’ arms – search for a shelter for the night. Headed toward the warmth of the Red Line, the man realizes he’s lost his wallet when a mysterious dark-haired woman appears with it. She takes an interest in the pair in the CTA tunnel and offers them two tickets to her hedonistic end-of-the-year bash. Ballroom dresses, masquerade masks, and alligator head filled with fresh strawberries fill the party, as dream, reality, and hallucination blur for the young woman and the viewer.
Written and directed by Derek Quint, “Second Star” is the third in a collection of 17 short films known as the Vault Projections series. The Chicago-based indie company Addovolt Productions bankrolled the work, which is loosely inspired by J.M. Barrie’s “Peter Pan.” The connections are subtle (perhaps too subtle for anyone to realize without prompting), but once the suggestion is made, themes of being young and lost and the fantasy of an otherworldly Neverland materialize in the work. The intriguing, urban story, inspired by actual friends of the author’s, is relatively well-realized given its small, independent budget. Occasionally, the soundtrack distracts more than enhances the action on screen, but what is lacking in production value is made up for with the ambition of the storytellers. “Second Star” explores the power of human resilience and the danger of human delusion, as our imaginations create the warmth we can’t find in the world.
Watch the film and find updates about Addovolt Productions on their website: http://addovolt.blogspot.com/
