Captured Atmosphere
Aaron Bondaroff was one of those characters [...]
Gallop – A tale about MS
by: Lizzie Plaugic
About halfway through Michael Pearce’s short film “Gallop,” it gets hard to watch. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing—Pearce is taking on the challenging topic of multiple sclerosis. But despite some clichéd elements—muffled voices, true love, stubborn spit settling on the corners of moving lips—the film manages to confront the topic of living with MS without letting it dominate. The romantic relationship of a young couple (and appearances by an elusive white horse) serves as the optimistic framework for what would otherwise be a daunting tale of disease.
“Gallop” is well shot, aesthetically pleasing (think the opposite of a Britcom), and gives a voice to an important topic. Developed and launched by Shift.ms, a web community for young people with MS, “Gallop” has already been shortlisted for Best Short Film at this year’s Rushes Soho Shorts Festival in London.
