Review: Face-off (short film)

Synopsis
Set over a single, freezing winter evening at an outdoor neighborhood skating rink, the film follows 14-year-old Théo as he skates alone in endless circles to escape his inner ghosts.

Few things in independent cinema are more satisfying than a short film that turns its constraints into its greatest strength. Rather than getting bogged down in exposition or shoehorning in a feature-length plot, the format shines brightest when it isolates a single, charged moment in time, much like a good painting or photograph.

Pascal Chaumont’s Face-off understands this completely. Written by Aline Viens, who also produced alongside Chaumont, the ten-minute drama takes place on a cold night at an outdoor rink. Fourteen-year-old Théo skates alone in continuous circles, trying to escape something painful, until an unexpected presence steps onto the ice. What follows is a quiet, tense confrontation, watched only by two silent bystanders on the sidelines.

The actors, led by Loïc Oliviera, handle this simple setup really well. With very few spoken lines, the actors tell the story through cautious looks, rigid body language, and small movements. Every pause on the ice shows a deep history of pain and regret that words simply cannot explain.

Behind the camera, the filmmaking choices keep the audience hooked. Our point of view is kept close to the actors, turning the open rink into an intensely personal space. The sound design brings out the harsh cold through the scraping of skate blades and heavy breathing in the dark.

By focusing on just one tense, emotional confrontation, Face-off never feels crowded or rushed. Chaumont and his team deliver a sharp hit of drama that makes its point clearly and ends at the right time, showing just how powerful a simple, focused short film can be.

I enjoyed this film very much.

Face-off continues to make its mark on the festival circuit, screening at Montreal’s 30th Fantasia International Film Festival, the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival, and winning Best International Short Film at Vancouver’s Close-Up Film Festival.

More info & links:

• Director: Pascal Chaumont
• Writer: Aline Viens
• Producers: Aline Viens, Pascal Chaumont
• Cast: Loïc Oliviera, Roger Léger, Samuel Paul-Hus, Samuel Vendette
• Face-Off on Letterboxd

Jith Paul

Web Designer, Editor, Film Reviewer

Jith Paul is a communications professional, digital strategist, and filmmaker whose career spans digital systems, platform architecture, and cinematic storytelling. A Waterloo Engineering and Algonquin Television Broadcasting graduate, he founded Treepot Media and co-founded the Ottawa Canadian Film Festival. His award-winning films have screened internationally, including Algebra at Entr’2 marches in Cannes and A Clean Slate, winner of Best Short at Valle d’Itria in Italy. He leads film613, which celebrates local Ottawa–Outaouais screen culture.

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