The Confession (2010 film)
Encyclopedia
The Confession is a 2010 British melodramatic short film directed by Tanel Toom
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Sam can't think of any sins to tell the priest at his first confession. He worries that he won't be a real Catholic if the priest doesn't absolve him of some misdeed. Jacob, Sam's friend, devises a solution in the form of a prank, but the result is tragic.
Jacob and Sam decide to steal Farmer Collins’ Scarecrow and leave in middle of the road for him to find while he is driving his tractor to town, committing the sin of “stealing.” The plan backfires when Famer Collins pulls off the main road before he sees the stolen scarecrow. At the moment the tractor pulls off the road, another car speeds down the twisted and deserted street and, believing the scarecrow to be a dead body, swerves to avoid it and crashes into a tree. Sam walks up to the car and sees a woman and a little girl alive, but severely dazed and bleeding from the head. The car bursts into flames. Sam and Jacob flee the scene with the scarecrow. As they are running through the woods they hear the car explode.
Sam and Jacob push the scarecrow off a cliff by the tree they play by every day. Jacob makes Sam swear never to tell anyone because “it was an accident.” Sam is full of guilt. That night he dreams the dead woman, the farmer and his father all know. He is haunted by what he has done.
In school the next day Sam runs out of his class into the bathroom, unable to deal with what he has done. Jacob runs after him and tells him that no one knows that he has to keep it together. Jacob tells Sam to meet him at the tree where they hid the scarecrow after dinner.
During dinner that night Sam’s father mentions that Collins’ scarecrow was missing, leading guilt striven Sam to believe that his father knows what he has done. After dinner he meets Jacob by the tree. Sam wants to tell someone what has happened. Jacob states that if he does Jacob will deny everything because it was Sam’s fault. The two boys start pushing each other, while Sam yells over and over again “it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault.” During the fight Sam accidentally pushes Jacob into the same cliff they dumped the scarecrow the day before. Jacob dies instantly.
The next day Sam goes to church early in the morning in his robes to have his first confession. While the Priest states that confession does start until later, Sam insists that he confess his sins now. The Priest, seeing that something is clearly troubling Sam, agrees.
Sam states “Bless me father for I have sinned, this is my first confession.” The Priest gently asks Sam to name his sins. With tears streaming down his face Sam, unable to say all he has done, confesses not listening to his mum and locking his sister in the closet, the same sins his now deceased friend Jacob was going to confess. The Priest declares Sam’s sins to be absolved. Sam, still very much troubled by his actions quietly leaves the confessional.
An 8-year-old, Catholic schoolboy, Sam is a good kid with a conscience who prefers to follow the rules. However, his friend Jacob often leads him astray.
Sam's friend and classmate, Jacob questions conventions. He has a mischievous streak, and ultimately, he lacks a conscience.
Tanel Toom
Tanel Toom is an Estonian Oscar nominated director and screenwriter.Tanel Toom studied filmmaking at the Tallinn University, graduating with a BA in 2005. After that, he worked as a director for commercials and as a first assistant director. In 2008 he completed his fourth short film, The Second...
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Sam can't think of any sins to tell the priest at his first confession. He worries that he won't be a real Catholic if the priest doesn't absolve him of some misdeed. Jacob, Sam's friend, devises a solution in the form of a prank, but the result is tragic.
Plot
Sam, an 8-year old attending a catholic school, and his trouble making friend Jacob prepare for their first confession. Their class is given a list of sins that children can confess. These include “bullying” and “swearing” among others. Sam pores over the list but is unable to come up with a sin he has done. Sam asks Jacob what he will confess. Jacob states that he would mention not listening to his mom and locking his sister in the closet. Sam feels like he will not be a true catholic if he cannot be absolved, so he turns to Jacob to suggest a sin Sam could commit and then confess to.Jacob and Sam decide to steal Farmer Collins’ Scarecrow and leave in middle of the road for him to find while he is driving his tractor to town, committing the sin of “stealing.” The plan backfires when Famer Collins pulls off the main road before he sees the stolen scarecrow. At the moment the tractor pulls off the road, another car speeds down the twisted and deserted street and, believing the scarecrow to be a dead body, swerves to avoid it and crashes into a tree. Sam walks up to the car and sees a woman and a little girl alive, but severely dazed and bleeding from the head. The car bursts into flames. Sam and Jacob flee the scene with the scarecrow. As they are running through the woods they hear the car explode.
Sam and Jacob push the scarecrow off a cliff by the tree they play by every day. Jacob makes Sam swear never to tell anyone because “it was an accident.” Sam is full of guilt. That night he dreams the dead woman, the farmer and his father all know. He is haunted by what he has done.
In school the next day Sam runs out of his class into the bathroom, unable to deal with what he has done. Jacob runs after him and tells him that no one knows that he has to keep it together. Jacob tells Sam to meet him at the tree where they hid the scarecrow after dinner.
During dinner that night Sam’s father mentions that Collins’ scarecrow was missing, leading guilt striven Sam to believe that his father knows what he has done. After dinner he meets Jacob by the tree. Sam wants to tell someone what has happened. Jacob states that if he does Jacob will deny everything because it was Sam’s fault. The two boys start pushing each other, while Sam yells over and over again “it’s not my fault, it’s not my fault.” During the fight Sam accidentally pushes Jacob into the same cliff they dumped the scarecrow the day before. Jacob dies instantly.
The next day Sam goes to church early in the morning in his robes to have his first confession. While the Priest states that confession does start until later, Sam insists that he confess his sins now. The Priest, seeing that something is clearly troubling Sam, agrees.
Sam states “Bless me father for I have sinned, this is my first confession.” The Priest gently asks Sam to name his sins. With tears streaming down his face Sam, unable to say all he has done, confesses not listening to his mum and locking his sister in the closet, the same sins his now deceased friend Jacob was going to confess. The Priest declares Sam’s sins to be absolved. Sam, still very much troubled by his actions quietly leaves the confessional.
Cast
- Lewis Howlett as Sam
An 8-year-old, Catholic schoolboy, Sam is a good kid with a conscience who prefers to follow the rules. However, his friend Jacob often leads him astray.
- Joe Eales as Jacob
Sam's friend and classmate, Jacob questions conventions. He has a mischievous streak, and ultimately, he lacks a conscience.
- James SimmonsJames SimmonsJames Simmons was a poet, literary critic and songwriter from Derry, Northern Ireland.-Biography:He was born into a middle-class Protestant family in Derry in 1933 and attended Campbell College in Belfast before moving to the University of Leeds to read for a degree in English...
as the priest - Gemma Atkins as the teacher
- Aran Bell as Sam's father
Awards, nominations, and honors
| Year | Ceremony | Award | Result | Category |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2011 | Academy Awards 83rd Academy Awards The 83rd Academy Awards ceremony, presented by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences , honored the best films of 2010 and took place February 27, 2011, at the Kodak Theatre in Hollywood, Los Angeles beginning at 5:30 p.m. PST / 8:30 p.m. EST. During the ceremony, Academy Awards ... |
Oscar | Nominated | Short Film (Live Action) Academy Award for Best Live Action Short Film This name for the Academy Award for Live Action Short Film was introduced in 1974. For the three preceding years it was known as "Short Subjects, Live Action Films." The term "Short Subjects, Live Action Subjects" was used from 1957 until 1970. From 1936 until 1956 there were two separate... |
| 2011 | MPSE Golden Reels Awards Motion Picture Sound Editors Founded in 1953, Motion Picture Sound Editors is an honorary society of motion picture sound editors. The society's goals are to educate others about and increase the recognition of the sound editors, show the artistic merit of the soundtracks, and improve the professional relationship of its... |
Verna Fields Award Verna Fields Award The Verna Fields Award is the Golden Reel Award which is annually presented by Motion Picture Sound Editors to a filmmaking student in order to recognize the excellence of their sound editing work. Luke Dunn Gielmuda of the Australian Film Television and Radio School won the 1998 award for his work... |
Nominated | Best Sound Editing in a Student Film |
| 2010 | Student Academy Awards Student Academy Awards The Student Academy Awards is the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences' annual competition for college and university filmmakers. The awards were originally named the Student Film Awards and were first presented in 1973. Since 1975, the awards have been given annually, usually in June... |
Student Oscar | Won | Honorary Foreign Film |
External links
- The Confession excerpt hosted at Oscars.org