Special Review: Transcend

Special Review: Transcend

To transcend means to go beyond the range or limits of a certain thing, and there's no better title for this incredible short film than "Transcend."  The issue of mental illness is a taboo subject, with millions of people all around the world dealing with the worst battle anyone can face - the one inside their own mind.  The voices in your head that tell you you're not good enough, you'll never make it, you can never provide for your family, you will never find love, you will never be successful - these lies fester inside your mind like a cancer and if you allow them to permeate to your soul, they will ultimately win out and destroy you - but there's always hope, if you're able to take those negative thoughts and transcend above them; to use those darker thoughts and transform them into something powerful and transformative in a positive way.

Prevention specialist Mason Edmunds works closely with people struggling with mental issues and behavioral health, and also has a passion and desire for filmmaking, and used this avenue to tell a tale that's often overlooked or ignored.  Performing, writing, editing, and directing this short film himself, Mason accurately and downright unnervingly showcases what goes on inside the mind of someone struggling with their inner demons - and it's something that everyone can relate to. 

"Transcend" focuses on Mason's character, who is physically alone in his apartment, but his mind is overwhelmed with negative thoughts, all of whom show themselves as different, more frightening, versions of Mason himself.  He's haunted by his thoughts and can't escape them, almost allowing them to completely overwhelm him until he turns it around and uses these voices as a means to reform his mind and to silence those negative voices.  It's only 7:42, but its story is one that resonates for much, much longer.

Mason performs with a gusto and dedication that comes from someone who's not only perfectly fine-tuned in his craft, but from someone with a sincere, unbridled passion in the story he's telling.  Many filmmakers produce their own work to gain notoriety, fame, or fortune - but Mason painstakingly, methodically spent months writing, performing, and editing this small gem in order to get his message across - a message he's undoubtedly heard over and over again, and one that seemingly resonates from inside his own mind.  You feel for Mason's character in a deeply personal way, because the entire film feels personally made.

The editing, effects, and sound work are all fantastic and parallels any big-budget studio film, as Mason's mind personas haunt him at every turn, and splendidly are edited into the film as demons that not just sit on his shoulder, but reach out to him from every corner and stalks him in the shadows, giving a very eerie, tense feel that reverberates from start to finish.  The quick cuts showing the inner turmoil comes at a rapid pace, and his voice echoes in such a way that it touches the very soul of those watching. 

The famous Fred Rogers once said, "Anything that's human is mentionable, and anything that is mentionalbe can be more manageable.  When we can talk about our feelings, they become less overwhelming, less upsetting, and less scary."  Mason Edmund's "Transcend" proves that statement by delivering a deeply personal, haunting, ultimately uplifting short film that gives us the courage to face our inner demons and turn the negative thoughts into positive change.

The Score: A+

Check out this amazing short film here!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GnoiSbkX0cw&t=9s