Festival Focus - Sweet Disaster
Sweet Disaster is a bittersweet story of a woman struggling to fix her fracturing life as she prepares to welcome her first child into existence. Ruth Toma creates a sympathetic and realistic character in Frida, a woman who is extremely kind but also stubborn and sometimes petty. She is someone whose struggles many of us can recognise within our own lives and we can therefore empathise with deeply. It is through the wonderful writing that we can feel invested in Frida’s and Felix’s relationship within minutes and then feel the pain of their break up moments later. It is through the wonderful writing that we become invested in these characters and feel every emotional beat greatly.
As well as having a touching story Sweet Disaster is also beautiful visually. Laura Lehmus creates a number of interesting shots through the use of unique architecture and exciting lighting. The scenes are often cleverly curated to reflect Frida’s emotion, with the use of pink lighting representing both romance and later heartbreak, for instance. Lehmus also creates powerful visual representations of Frida’s thoughts and emotions which couldn’t be conveyed through simple speech or expression. One such example is the use of the animated rag doll which provides a particularly powerful representation of Frida’s anxieties towards motherhood. Indeed, throughout the film we are treated to a number of imaginative projections of Frida’s inner most feelings, which only makes the story ever more impactful. Ultimately, Sweet Disaster is a heartwarming film which teaches us to persevere and be kind even when it feels like the world is falling apart around us.
