Described by director Stephen Cole Webley (Con Amor) as “an exercise in tone and nuanced performance” 12-min short Dark Blue transports it audience to the sun-scorched landscapes that sit between the U.S. and Mexico. A film centred around luck and coincidence – some good, some bad – Webley’s short avoids exaggerating its drama, opting instead for restraint, in both style and story.

“Facing an impossible decision Reveals Nuances in the human soul”

From environmental documentaries to tales of border control agents, the almost 2000-mile stretch of land separating America from its neighbouring country has become a rich breeding ground for storytelling. Webley’s Dark Blue takes an unexpected route across these lands, as after the first three-minutes of the film follow an immigrant embarking on this dangerous crossing, we’re introduced to two seemingly unconnected characters, who are using the area for a different kind of illegal activity. Of course, the paths of this trio will ultimately cross and when they do the Mexican traveller will find himself in a position he never could have imagined.

“Facing an impossible decision reveals nuances in the human soul”, writer/director Webley states as we discusses the universal themes in his short. Every decision you make in life, big or small, will have consequences and the filmmaker explores this idea through his amplified scenario. The choices the characters in Dark Blue have to make are life-changing and will help them find out what kind of person they really are. Exactly the type of situation Webley wanted to tackle in his film, as he believes its moments like this that an individual must choose “to confront not only what is ‘right’ but what is the best ‘right’ choice”. 

Although narratively complex and layered, Dark Blue’s premise isn’t really anything out of the ordinary and the short might not have stood out as something we wanted to feature, if it wasn’t for the outstanding production – as S/W co-founder Jason Sondhi pointed out in our discussions, when the film was submitted, it really has “the sh*t directed out of it”. With Webley a prominent commercial director – he helmed that 84 Lumber spot that made a big impact in the Superbowl breaks a few years back – this level of filmmaking should come as no surprise. In fact, that aforementioned ad features similar locations and experiences as Dark Blue, so could be seen as somewhat of a trial run for his own narrative.

The work of cinematographer Paul Meyers, also a regular on the commercials scene is a particular standout element from the production, complimenting the restraint of the storytelling with a similarly controlled approach (it’s eye-catching without ever feeling gimmicky or obtrusive) to the photography. Which again, is complimented by the patient post-production, the work of editor Jai Shukla, colour studio Primary and sound designer Kyle Mclane doing stellar work in helping to set the tone – which, as we mentioned in the opening paragraph, was an important element in the film for Webley.

With Webley’s experience in commercials and short films, it should come as no real surprise to hear that the next step in his filmmaking journey is to enter the world of features. When we asked the director what he could tell us about his upcoming project, he revealed it was called Omaha and “charts the troubles of a father struggling with debilitating grief over the sudden death of his wife” and how he “embarks on a life-changing journey through the American West with his two young children”.