In Duane Hansen Fernandez’s short film, A Place to Fall Down, Jose is an auto mechanic by trade who spends his days in solitude, haunted by the memory of his late wife, Charlotte. In his garage, he listens to a motivational tape repeating the phrase “I am not alone” to inspire him to finish his client’s car, but the message barely reaches him.
Even as he works on cars, his mind is consumed by flashbacks of Charlotte, especially today—her birthday. The loss feels fresh, leaving him paralyzed and unable to focus on an important job that could put his business at risk if not completed.
“The loss feels fresh, leaving him paralyzed and unable to focus on an important job that could put his business at risk…”
Throughout the day, Jose receives calls from friends checking in, but he lets them go unanswered, preferring to sit with his thoughts rather than reach out. With each passing moment, he sinks deeper into isolation, caught between his grief and the pressure to carry on.
A Place to Fall Down is a heart-wrenching reminder that one cannot just get over the loss of a loved one. At a time when we need others to support us, we find ourselves wanting to be alone. But this isolation sends our thoughts down a very dark path.
With a beautiful and poignant performance by Clifton Collins, Jr. as Jose, A Place to Fall Down puts the audience right in the shoes of someone trying to find a small ray of hope in a time of grief. Even a motivational tape can be right: “I am not alone.”