A postman’s first day takes a terrifying turn when a precocious young girl tells him of her family’s horrible tragedy.
Certified is a wonderfully contained short using a notable and rather uneasy storytelling combination between time, genre and characters, which in form has been nailed right on. Taking place in 1950’s rural America, the film is described as a period drama with a ‘Twilight Zone’ twist! Filmmaker Luke Guidici first got the inspiration when a friend messaged him a link to Saki’s short story ‘The Open Window‘.
After reading it, I knew right away that it was the perfect setup for a short film. I’d been developing various short film concepts for several years, but hadn’t found the “right” project.
The film is exemplary in all aspects from photography to music, but mostly Luke embraces the simplicity of the story and focuses his attention to details and extravagant human expressions.
First off, I need something that spoke to me as a filmmaker, second I needed something that I could actually afford to produce. “The Open Window” fit what I was looking for. It was a contained story with only one location, required a small cast, and dealt with themes of the supernatural and questions of reality. Plus, it had just a touch of the undead.
The film’s charm was brought together by its formidable cast, in particular Rebecca Spicher playing the role of Alice. Her sweet innocence is played to perfection, convincing the audience, and the mailman alike with her articulate sweetness.
