Jonah (17:42)
BFI; Dust.com; Dust.tv; Factory Fifteen; IMDb; Jellyfish Pictures; Short of the Week; Stray Bear; Vimeo; YouTube

This 2012 short film was presented by Dust in 2017 (re-released in 2022).

This short film has a lot going for it, including its cast, its visual effects, and its story. Mbwana (Daniel Kaluuya, from Get Out) and Juma (Malachi Kirby, from Roots) are best friends who one day steal a camera. Later, they talk about dreams of somehow enticing tourists to come to their small fishing community, to make the town more prosperous. Later still, as they take turns taking pictures with the camera, Juma is taking a photo while Mbwana poses, when in an incredibly stroke of luck, a giant fish jumps out of the water, right behind Mbwana. The photo attracts many tourists hoping to catch a glimpse of the now-famous fish. As the town grows around them, Mbwana enjoys his own fame as the "Fish Man," while Juma goes largely unnoticed by anyone.

The story then flashes forward to Mbwana as an old man, but I don't want to say more than that. In fact, I'm not entirely sure I even understand the ending... I mean, parts of what appear to happen don't really make sense to me. Nevertheless, it's a stunning film to watch. And it was fun seeing a couple of actors in earlier roles than I know them for.