Liminal Film Spotlight

Today’s film spotlight focuses on the short film Liminal directed by Dan Abramovici as part of the Pendance Film Festival.

What is the title of your film and what inspired said title?

Liminal is about a man (Aaron Poole) who lives both his past and present concurrently. As time is compressed and he flows through spirals of love and sexuality, Steve finds himself in a sort of liminal state; stuck between a family life built on half measures and a desire for a more authentic experience.

Tell us a little bit about the story and origins of your film.

Liminal is about sexual fluidity and the struggle of having to define oneself. It’s about the interaction between being stuck, and about the consequence of living a life of false starts and half measures. It is a personal story, but one that I hope is open to the viewer’s unique interpretation and projection.

For me, it started with wanting to really push myself as a visual storyteller, and use dance and movement to communicate experiences I could not express with words. Sexual identity, fidelity, loss… 

Any films or filmmakers that inspired this film?

I love how directors like Spike Jonze, Michel Gondry, and Charlie Kaufman jump between real and dreamlike spaces in a way that feels organic and authentic to the story. I also looked at musicals, Rocketman being a recent favorite, to see how they transition from naturalistic dialogue into song and dance without losing the viewer.

What is the goal of the film for you?

The main thing was getting this story out of my brain. Then it was about seeing if I can grow enough as a writer/director to do this story justice. Still to come is, hopefully, showing this film as proof of concept for a feature I am now writing.

What has the journey been like getting the film into production?

Raising the money for an indie short is never easy. We got lucky and had some help to get things going, and then loads of amazingly talented people stepped up and worked for a reduced rate. I cannot say enough good things about the team.

One thing you learned from this project?

Work hard to make something you’re proud of. No matter how difficult. It’ll be worth it.

How can folks find you and your film online?

We are gonna be on CBC Gem at the end of March, and are looking for an international platform as well. You can also message me @danabramovici

Any last pieces of advice for fellow filmmakers?

Tell the story you want to tell. Don’t compromise. Don’t write for a market, write the film you wanna watch.

The Pendance Film Festival runs from March 10-13, 2022.

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