"WORK" // SUNDANCE 2022 WRAP-UP"
Featured as part of the short film selection at the Sundance Film Festival this year, WORK is written and directed by April Maxey, a queer Latina filmmaker whose own life as a dancer help inspire the film. Gabi (Marisela Zumbado) is a woman who works as a freelance editor during the day and is slowly reeling from a recent breakup. Her day job doesn't seem that fulfilling and one day decides to head back to an undergroup lap-dance parlor that she used to work at. Once there she runs into an old friend Max (Elaine Whae), a fellow dancer and finds that her return to dancing fulfills her in a way that begins to give her a spark again.
Developed as part of AFI's Directing Workshop for Women, WORK just scratches the surface of the story of Gabi, but in the hands of Maxey and cinematographer Melinda James, they pull you into an intriguing story revealing a heartbreaking loss and leaves you wanting more from these characters. It's also a strong attempt at de-stigmatizing sex work, something that is long overdue, showcasing it as simply one of the many facets of a human being, and a profession that is just as noble as any other form of employment. It's short, clocking in under 20 minutes, but for me drew me in quickly and got me excited to see what else Maxey will create in the future and if the story of Gabi will unfold in a longer form.
GRADE: B+
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY April Maxey STARRING Marisela Zumbado, Elaine Whae. SELECTED AS PART OF THE 2022 SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL. FOR MORE INFO: WORK