While In A Heartbeat and Call Me by Your Name are taking over, the new vulnerable short film Yes and No stands out to remind young queer women that their stories belong onscreen too. The short, which takes place between two best friends about to make the jump to something more, will make your heart pound and body cringe with its beautiful cinematography, direction, and relatable performances.
Yes and No was written and directed by a young woman herself, Shannon Hardy, who wanted to showcase "female sexuality and friendships in particular, because I know and love women who would benefit from seeing characters on the screen that feel familiar to them." Hardy takes on the complicated gray area that is coming out as more than friends.
"Sex and relationships are so rarely black and white, and so I felt compelled to create LGBQT characters with the same amount of seriousness and truthfulness that we do our most complicated, heterosexual protagonists." she told PRIDE. "My hope is that queer youth look at this relationship, and see or feel a bit of themselves."
Hardy certainly brought this concept alive. In less than five minutes, she encapsulates the years of back and forth queer girls experience and how sometimes moving forward doesn’t always amount to moving with the one you love.
The film is not just about showing the reality for LGBT youth, but making them know "there are people who want to hear their stories of heartbreak, romance, and growing up."
