We are all consequences of the past. Every small decision our parents made has modeled our present, regardless of will or chance. Depending on our present, we seldom look back and question this because perhaps the present isn’t as good as it should have been. Part of accepting our problems is looking to blame someone else. It’s only natural, and growing up also means being able to look back and recognize that sometimes we are more responsible for our present than our parents were. But what about when our present is ideal, good, and not entirely similar to what we remember living in our past? Are we able to look back and recognize that those small decisions are perhaps the reason why we are so fortunate today?
Belief by Christian Loubek is a short film based on that question, one that the lead character, Lennox, is able to answer when he randomly finds an envelope with a letter inside. As he reads, he travels back in time and rediscovers the memories that made him a successful family man. And no, the past wasn’t as easy as his present. In less than 20 minutes, Loubek is able to answer a character arc with vignettes that perfectly describe Lennox’s formation. A mother’s journey had never been this essential.
In the film, we see how Lennox was raised in a non-traditional home. I won’t spoil you with the details, but I will say that his mother had to sacrifice some things. Those things are universal, human, and almost inherent to the struggles of minorities who didn’t have enough luck or opportunities to expand their family in comfort. Lennox’s mother made a decision early on, and while their life wasn’t perfect, it held that final objective with resolve: children, regardless of their capacity, should be educated.
There are some questions that Belief doesn’t answer, and that’s alright. The film is not a study of social issues or more realism-based themes. Belief is about discovering the truth about Lennox’s past and about a character’s journey that we don’t often observe with admiration. Motherhood is not as beautiful as some people paint it to be, but that doesn’t mean it can’t be recognized as a strong origin story for who we are today.
The story about the making of Belief has a lot to do with the story. Actress Erika Hamilton saw her life change drastically when she became a mother. Her agent fired her because of pregnancy, and now she’s able to tell her story with her children participating in the project that her husband is directing. It’s not exactly autobiographical, but Loubek’s film feels universal because of the warmth of his emotional film. There are no ups and downs or turns and twists. This is a story about being able to accept the past is more important than we give credit to. Lennox found out through a letter that told him why his childhood was extremely different. Perhaps when you look back, you will find unique facts that will make you nod your head, scream in anger, or make that call to your parents to say “thank you.”
Film critic. Lover of all things horror. Member of the OFCS. RT Approved Critic.
