Tribeca 2023 | Ecstasy Review: A Disappointing and Profoundly Confusing Short

At first glance, when I received an email saying that a short featuring one of the stars of Black Panther: Wakanda Forever (Mabel Cadena) and a star of Huesera: The Bone Woman (Natalia Solian) and it would be playing at Tribeca 2023, I practically tripped over myself trying to coordinate coverage. Cadena’s performance as Namora was one of the best parts of Wakanda Forever, and I’d heard good things about Huesera.

I was even more ecstatic when I read the synopsis. It described the short as a mystical sci-fi based on Saint Teresa de Avila’s writings, is set in a ghostly mausoleum, and features nuns being affected by a black hole.

So, you can imagine my disappointment when I clicked play on the short, and it was nothing like any of what I described to you. Not only does the mystical science fiction aspect and the effect that the black hole has on the nuns in a spooky mausoleum rarely come up, but I also wouldn’t even say that it’s an honest way to describe what happens in this short.

What this short is actually about is the separation of two same-sex nuns separated by said black hole, how religion can sometimes make us feel guilty about our sexual relationships, and the role of ecstasy in all parts of one’s life.

Otherwise, this short makes no sense, no matter how many times you watch it. I couldn’t find any connections to Saint Teresa de Avila’s writings, the three chapters the short is divided into have no rhyme or reason, and the short has a needle drop that feels entirely out of place in an otherwise sonically reserved short.

That’s not to say that everything is terrible about this short. Cadena and Solian give convincing performances, the cinematography pulls the viewer into the mystery, and the harmonics at the beginning set the tone for the short reasonably well.

If you’re in town for Tribeca and thinking of checking this one out on its own, I wouldn’t recommend it. On top of that, I’ve seen way too many films featuring nuns recently, and I think it’s time to let this trend die. Instead, try to fit this in as part of the Life Isn’t Normal shorts program, as the other shorts may be more your speed.

★

Ecstasy is playing on June 8th at 5:15 PM, June 10th at 1 PM, and June 17th at 3 PM at AMC 19th Street as part of the 2023 Tribeca Festival shorts program Life Isn’t Normal, which also features shorts from Latin America, such as Cuarto de Hora, Angelo, Spinning, Ferns, Fairytales, and Schettinimous.

You can buy tickets to the Life Isn’t Normal shorts here.

Ecstasy will also be screened from June 19th to July 2nd on the Tribeca At Home online platform. You can buy the Tribeca At Home Pass here.

Until next time!

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