In our days of youth, we always make connections with the most interesting people. In one of my longest lasting labour jobs, I managed to make a connection with a grandmother who thought I resembled her deceased son. In my high school years, I made a connection with some quiet individual who looked like he always judged me but was okay with listening to my issues. In Anya Chirkova’s delightful short Flower Boy, our protagonist makes two connections around the summer time just as August is on the rise, just like it is right now. Whoa.
It all starts in a nice quiet neighbourhood, our protagonist Nav (Maziyar Khatam) shows off his musical talent which attracts a young girl named Sarah (Andrea Pavlovic) who sneaks into his yard and meets him. Together they make plans to take a trip but first needs to make some money and goes about it by doing his first job working at a kid’s activity centre. His boss Frank (David Richard) is an elderly man with a big heart and a sense of humour. As summer passes along within the last month of the season, Sarah paints Nav’s portrait showing him holding his decapitated head while flowers sprout from his neck. Eventually Nav shows his talent of making music at a party and becomes a big hit among the other party goers. Not long after Nav and Sarah make out to celebrate the fact that she’s been accepted to an art school in Ottawa. Things also get better as his new job turns out to be quite fun and his boss has some experience with music as well. But with summer fading, it seems that perhaps the relationships might as well. After all, what is Nav going to do after this? Will he move away to Ottawa with his crush, and will he quit his job working with the world’s coolest boss?
It’s a well made film that documents that awkward stage in youth where at first we don’t know where we’re going in life but somehow find out on a whim (wonder if my brother will do that in August). A relatable story, made with beautiful colours that are bright and only a little bit muted giving a feeling of purity. The characters give you warm fuzzy feelings of people you may have known, and it gives an all around feeling of charm from the concept.
Flower Boy can be viewed on CBC Gem currently.