Saturday Double Special: Faulty Roots + Soundtrack To Sixteen [Films]

Wow. In just a short 10 minutes, the emotional response that I felt whilst watching this incredible gem of a film is almost indescribable. Our dear friend Ella Greenwood has truly knocked it out of the park on her directorial debut that perfectly showcases the idea that not all wounds are physical. Emotional pain can hold just as much clout in thy mind’s eye as the physical can. The film tackles very serious subject matter regarding terminal illness, as well as the treacherous reality fo mental illness and how we will sometimes as humans disregard the latter as a real issue. I will keep this brief, as it is indeed a short film, adding the chance of spoilers to ruin it all for you, but I simply have to say that everyone should see this film. In fact, as I’ve said about a few other projects we have covered in the past, this should be required viewing for schools. Beyond the fact that the film was made my an 18 year old, it’s just a film that could impact the lives of young people across the globe, and is absolutely fantastic. However you manage to see it, Folks. Do it. You will not be upset.

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So, alot of you are stuck in the house. We get it. It sucks. Like a lot. That’s we TWS is trying to throw as much great content at you as we can. We love and appreciate you all, and want to help you all through this as best as we can. So we are doubling our efforts this Saturday, and making it a double feature. Maybe we will do it again? We shall give it a shot! Enjoy!

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“Maisy is obsessed with a guy who will never get with her. She is self-conscious and constantly overanalysing. But she’s sixteen and can’t helpvit. Ben – another awkward teen from a nearby school is happy being a nerd and thinking he’s better than everyone else until his grades start plummeting and he can’t work out why. When they meet on the night bus, Maisy still in pyjamas from a humiliating sleepover, Ben killing time riding around the route after getting sent home for shouting in assembly. Maisy finally has someone she can open up to. After trying to switch friendship groups she has ended up with no friends at all and she’s mortified that she still hasn’t had her first kiss. The two fall into a

tumultuous friendship but as exams loom and they must fight their anxieties, they find support in each other while they try and work out if there’s more to the relationship than friendship.” – soundtracktosixteen.com

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For those of you who know me personally (or maybe just digitally), you may know that I am a man in his mid-30’s and you may think that I have no business discussing the going ons of a teenage angst film. But, listen, a great film is a great film. The life of a teenager is something that we have all experienced, and something that we all can relate to in one form or another. It’s a part of life, and when you look back on it all of these years after it occurred (for some of us), there is a deeper sense of understanding about the era you endured that goes beyond just simple nostalgia.

I guess that last paragraph is just a pre-cursor to why I am so excited to tell you all about Soundtrack to Sixteen. I really, really, really, loved this film! Besides being brilliantly edited and amazing to look at, it is truly one of the sweetest and most heart-warming films I have seen in quite some time. The idea of showcasing awkward teenage angst on screen is not new by any means, but when it is done as well as this film, it’s absolute gold. From the incredible performances, to a brilliantly written story, Soundtrack to Sixteen is one of the most pleasurable films of this subject matter to have been released in quite some time.

Scarlett Marshall and James Calloway really manage to manipulate the viewer in so many ways. As somebody who is, as previously mentioned, far removed (20 years?) from the era as I am, I know that I spent so much time yelling out loud things like, “It gets better!” or “Just kiss her!”, like a damn fool. It’s the whole “if I knew then, what I know now” idea, I guess. But that’s the thing, isn’t it? You DIDN’T know it then. The adults around you could tell you until they were blue in the face, but you’re not geared in a way that what they say truly matters.

This generation is growing up dramatically different than some of ours, yet are still facing the same issues we can all relate to somehow. And the filmmakers known as The Shakespeare Sisters have done an amazing job in encapsulating that for us with their incredible film Soundtrack to Sixteen that I can not recommend enough to Everyone who reads this. You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, and you’ll cringe oh so hard at times. Check it out!