A terminallyill girl wants her ashes spread with her late mother. But her father wants a 'selfie' casket.


THE HEREAFTER is used with permission from Ryan Noufer. Learn more at   / ryannoufer  .


Olive is a young teenager with a terminal illness. Resigned to her life ending, she wants nothing more than her ashes to be spread with her mother's. But her father has different ideas: he wants his daughter to be buried in a new product, an expensive "selfie casket" that takes photos of the dead and posts them to their social media accounts from beyond the grave.

Olive is opposed to the idea, but is so drained from her illness that it is difficult for her to assert her will definitively. The casket's high price may be a formidable enough obstacle to keep her dad from following through with his plans. But when he gets the company that makes the casket involved, all bets are off.

Directed and written by Ryan Noufer, this riveting short balances two distinctive veins in its deft storytelling. There's a definite edge of satire in its portrayal of how social media and its imperatives have penetrated even the most taboo corners of human experience, imagining a world where nothing is truly sacred in terms of mass exposure. This aspect of the narrative is wellwritten and sharply imagined, injecting a dark, absurd humor into Olive's serious, sad situation and a sheen of uncanny brightness and gleam in the cinematography.

But the film doesn't lose sight of the more emotionally resonant family drama, where a terminally ill young woman must confront her dad's inability to accept reality, let go and allow her the last measure of peace she wishes for herself. Despite Olive's wishes, her dad refuses to listen to her wishes, persisting in his push for the selfie casket, an idea that's ghastly to Olive (and the audience.) But people around Olive have accepted it wholeheartedly, not even questioning the logic. This is a dystopian world where you can be an influencer, even after passing, and everyone accepts it. But Olive doesn't, and she must muster all her remaining life force to resist it.

Actor Cailyn Rice's delicate yet fiery performance is the emotional anchor of the story, with her growing disbelief and feelings of betrayal and emotional abandonment grounding us in the tragedy of a young woman dealing with a terminal illness. The deepest sadness of all is how alone she feels during this time, with her father refusing to even understand his daughter's perspective. Instead, actor Patrick Fabian portrays David as a dad who just doesn't accept what's happening. Not delusional, exactly, but stubbornly steadfast that this selfie casket will mitigate the loss of his daughter. As a result, Olive must take drastic measures to assert herself before it's too late.

As a result, the ending of THE HEREAFTER is extreme, memorable and shocking, much like the film itself. But it's also logical within the storytelling's commingling of satire and tragedy. It speaks to Olive's conviction, especially in a world where nothing is sacred, private or offlimits to the algorithms of content consumption. It is the ultimate act of resistance for Olive, and it is uncompromisingly on her own terms.