SLEDGEHAMMER

When Brooke receives a sensitive package in the mail, it's clear that the parcel has once again been tampered with. A corrosive urge to retaliate takes hold as Brooke plays out her reprisal to its unexpected climax.

Short Film | Public Space Productions | 2022

Director’s Statement
I have always been compelled by the notion of justice and balancing an action with its consequences. Being the youngest of four children, it was in my nature to stand up and retaliate when I felt that I had been wronged. I always carried a lead-heavy sense of righteousness into battle. In years since, I realized that most conflicts in my life are inevitably followed by a tidal wave of futility. As if the attempt to prove myself or my cause never felt as good as it should, like an instantaneous evaporation of hubris.

For me, Sledgehammer is about loss. The loss of self, loss of agency, and maybe most importantly, loss of control and the grief one experiences in its aftermath. In making this film, I wanted to focus in on how Brooke internalizes and contends with an invasion of privacy and an abuse of power.

As a male, I realize that I approach this film without experiencing the patriarchal oppression that Brooke does. However, I deeply relate to Brooke’s story, particularly the numbing loss of identity that Brooke is faced with after her retaliation.

© 2024 Kyle Marchen