Odessa, Gratia Plena

Description

The short opens with prolific Marina Abramovic-inspired conceptual artist Odessa Herring introducing a special workshop. She has caused a stir in the press lately after claiming to have crossed over to the other side and seen heaven following a near-death experience. People have gathered to hear her speak about her experience and take part in a meditative ritual under her guidance. Among them is our protagonist, Simona Boateng. In one of the workshop exercises Odessa encourages people to share their most recent difficult experiences. Simona is called on and shares her discomfort over inheriting the house she grew up in with her abusive late mother and older brother. While speaking about the conflicted feeling, Simona spots the ghost of her mother sitting amongst the group. Shaken, she wraps up her contribution but has piqued the interest of Odessa.In the next portion of the workshop Odessa leads the group in a meditative dance which she claims opened up the channels for her to cross over. The dance is loose and uninhibited - embarrassing for someone as introverted and conscious as Simona. She struggles to get into the flow until Odessa approaches and guides her through the dance. Before she knows it Simona is swept up in the fervour, the music and some unknown force flowing through her as she moves. Odessa, seeing Simona overcome, moves in for the final move to tip Simona through to the other side: near-death. Holding some rope she comes up behind Simona and begins to strangle her with it. Simona passes through to the other side, but rather than seeing heaven she ends up in a liminal space where the atmosphere is one of dread, and damned people writhe and groan in terror She also has flashbacks of her mother\'s terrifying episodes until Simona herself is thrown into a fit of hysteria so bad she physically becomes her mother. In the midst of this episode she is startled to recognise someone baying amongst the damned: Odessa. The scene of Simona\'s hysteria cuts sharply to the next as Simona lies seemingly dead, her body is motionless and cold. The workshop participants panic and beg and plead with Odessa to do something. Simona finally comes to, but she\'s visibly shaken and traumatised much to the shock of the group who assumed she had gone to heaven. They ask her what she saw and all she can do is look directly at Odessa who stands watching her right back in a way that unsettles.

Biblical Connection

I\'m going with Matthew 7:15 which is part of Jesus\' sermon on the mount where he warns of the danger of false prophets and wolves in sheep\'s clothing. The idea of false prophets especially in the digital age of social media is one that is rich for exploration, especially as religion-averse people find their own objects of idol worship who speak of good intentions but have more nefarious intentions. Through Simona I wanted to present a person who is straddling the line between a strict religious upbringing and an adult lifestyle that glamorises celebrity and status. Odessa represents the false prophet as someone who claims to have seen heaven and manages to build a following through her status as a provocative artist for credibility. When Simona follows that path however, she manages to cross over too and sees Odessa for what she is -- someone who with dark ties to the supernatural. As Simona comes out of her ordeal she is left with the truth of what she\'s seen - but will people believe her?