I was very taken aback by Olmo Omerzu’s short film, The Last Day of Patriarchy. It will, no doubt, cause a stir among American audiences in terms of respecting one another’s bodies and privilege.
Nina accompanies her boyfriend, Jakub, to the hospital to visit his dying grandfather. The couple has just moved in together and they haven’t announced that they are expecting their first child in the next few months. As the family gathers around the hospital bed, the patriarch has one final wish: he wants to see Nina’s breasts. Obviously shaken, she steps out into the waiting area, but the most surprising thing is how Jakub’s family reacts–as if Nina isn’t even there.
Director Omerzu wisely keeps the action inside the hospital. He shoots his film almost like an episode of Succession with dark hues and long, shadowy corridors. May emotions emerge while you are mulling things over in a hospital setting and Nina takes matters into her own hands as she expresses her reluctance of becoming a mother and changing her entire life. “It’s just me who has to change everything?” she poses to Jakub.
This patriarch is nearing his end, but the people in his world are almost bending to his will. It’s difficult to watch as this choice loom over Nina as the family figures out their next move.
