Apprev. A Short Film Ripped Straight From News Headlines

Damien Harris, a filmmaker from Australia sent me his newest short to watch. His previous short (The Trebek Technique) which I covered in 2018, can be found on the Mother of Movies Website. This short film Apprev. tackles some rather pointed political areas and makes some noise about pro-choice vs pro-life movements. If you’re not familiar with the two terms and want to know what pro-choice is, it’s rather simple. Pro-choice advocates believe that it’s ok for someone to decide for themselves whether to terminate a pregnancy. If you’re pro-life, you don’t think anyone should be able to do that. It’s a point of contention that has been around for a very long time.

• Starring: Lara Deam, Nadia Hunter, Kieran Cochrane, and Adam Rowland.
• Written and Directed by Damien Harris of Elfenshot Films.
• For more from Elfenshot, take a look at the Trebek Technique.
• For another film to make you think about all the inequalities in life, check out Happy Face / The Invisible Man
• To watch the best short film from SXSW Stuffed, check out the trailer and review

Apprev. Short Film Review

Basically, Apprev. takes this concept one step further by playing out a scenario that made its way into the press in late 2019 when a law was passed, which made pro-choice illegal under a precise timeline. Westworld star Evan Rachel Wood (who plays Dolores Abernathy in the TV series) had a suggestion and presented her ideas to the media. The storyline for Apprev. takes that suggestion and shows us how it would look. Ironically, Wood’s point seems to bring the issue right back to the rhetoric of ‘my body, my choice.”

Apprev. begins with Illona and Thomas, a perfectly nice couple living their life and celebrating their third anniversary. They swap presents and say nice things to each other before Illona adds an additional surprise for Thomas to enjoy. A small card falls out of his anniversary card, and inside is a business card for an appointment with someone who will help him with his application to have his vasectomy reversed. Writer-director Damien Harris creates a small and tidy universe where vasectomies are mandatory under a law conveniently passed by women.

For many, this will seem an outrageous proposition. But there’s more. In the film, Thomas goes along to his appointment and, fills in the necessary paperwork. He has a medical examination and for all intents and purposes, I supposed a bank loan application would be far easier than Thomas’s desire to have his vasectomy reversed. Under the law, at 13 years old, all men are required to have a vasectomy. Once in a committed relationship, and are ready to have children, they can apply for a reversal. If they are knocked back, they can reapply in three years’ time. Thomas and Illona want a baby.

Whose Choice Is It Then?

Harris’s short film shows the tenacious scenario from all angles. Thomas’s nephew Donnie is celebrating his 13th birthday. Donnie is not one bit happy about this imposition and pointedly asks why he doesn’t have the right to choose what happens to his body.

Performances in the Apprev. the short film is both enjoyable and natural. I particularly liked Thomas’s (Adam Rowland) role as he goes through the indignation of having his private parts examined in line with the protocol for the procedure. The 23-minute runtime shows you just enough to really pause and think. Whether pro-life or pro-choice shouldn’t we all get to make whatever decision is best for us?

Apprev. will be commencing its festival run, starting in the United Kingdom. Keep an eye on the Elfenshot.com website for release details to the wider public.

Suspiciously, the Evan Rachel Wood Twitter account no longer exists, but her thoughts have been captured and continue to make their way around the Twitterverse.

I give Apprev.

4 it’s not a party until everyone has had their vasectomy out of 5