One summer afternoon, when the families of the town throng the beach for their share of the sun, the sand and the water, Priscilla, a 7-year-old girl finds herself lonely in the crowd of bodies around her. With her elder siblings in worlds of their own, and her mother keen to find some ‘me time’ on the beach, Priscilla spots a toy vendor on the beach hawking his wares among the children. After some pestering and pleading with her mother, she manages to extract some money for a toy. Then starts the hunt for the elusive toy vendor. The search takes Priscilla down the length of the beach and to some exciting adventures along the way. Does she catch up with the elusive toy seller and get her toy?
‘The Little Beach’ is a narrative short film Director Sonia. In this cute adorable short, Sonia tells the tale of a little girl’s day at the beach that is both real and fantastical at the same time. She adopts the relaxed pace of the day at the beach, where, in the midst of human activities all around, time seems to stand still, for her storytelling. The camera remains invisible in the crowd, capturing candid moments of the unsuspecting characters on the beach. The languid shots of various snippets from around the beach, though not directly involved in the story is very effective in bringing to life the sights and the sounds of the place where the action takes place.
‘The Little Beach’ has the innocence of a children’s story that explores the world through the eyes of a curious 7-year-old, looking to find fairies, toy sellers and ponies in whatever they see. Even a drab day at the beach can be quite an adventure when you see it through the right eyes.
