BLACK OASIS

BLACK OASIS is a brilliantly directed story of a young girl on the path to perdition. Everything about this 26-minute video works, the acting, the dialogue and the direction. That said, it is a very dark story.

It opens with Emma and her best friend as two little girls singing the famous nursery song from the Middle Ages about the plague, “Ring Around the Rosey.” That night, as they pledge friendship to each other, they find out their pet rabbit is dead. Emma’s mother tells them that there is no heaven, that heaven is just a lie, but the rabbit and people go to an oasis.

Seven years later, Emma is a dark, rebellious, negative teenager who works in a coffee shop. She is now best friends with a very evil young girl. Her former childhood best friend has become a Christian and tries to get Emma to go to church with her. When Emma’s father rejects her for the umpteenth time, she decides to commit suicide at the urging of her coffee shop pal. Her childhood friend calls her and says she’s coming over to see her, but it may be too late.

BLACK OASIS is a dark tale. The Gospel is presented, but rejected. Evil is shown as real. The ending has what might be a slight glimmer of hope, but it is uncertain. That said, it is surprising that it is so well directed. Everybody does well in this short movie. The dialogue and the script have a fine edge to them. It is complex yet compelling. It is a cautionary tale.