Mistletoe

Synopsis:

The AIDS Epidemic broke up more than just families when it blew through the community in the 80’s. The year is 1989, and friends Josef, Marcel, Ten, Angelo, and Eric have come together for their annual Framily Christmas Eve dinner, but one thing is missing; their friend Hector won’t be joining them. Mistletoe follows the pain of losing someone to the unknown and the love of memories made with those you love.

Quick Thoughts:

I was happy when this queer holiday short film showed up on YouTube, because it seems that iElevate+ TV is no longer active – and way too many short films get lost over time. Overall, I enjoyed “Mistletoe” by Onyx Keesha. Was it a great short? Not exactly, as I felt like something was still missing. I also felt like it’s a bit off with the timeframe. At the start it notes it’s December 1989, which fits with the main issue of AIDS. But the film did not feel like it was set in the same time period, more like it was modern-day, a time where HIV and AIDS are still something that we have to be mindful of, but no longer the death sentence as before. I felt like I wasn’t able to connect well with the story because of this time disjointment. But otherwise, I enjoyed this queer holiday short film.