Louisa Connolly-Burnham and Mia McKenna-Bruce shine in Sister Wives, a heartfelt film about finding your true self in oppressive circumstances. Connolly-Burnham excels in front of and behind the camera in this fantastic short, showing she is a talent not to be ignored.

In a strict, fundamentalist, polygamous society in 2003 Utah, Kaidence (Louisa Connolly-Burnham) and Galilee (Mia McKenna-Bruce) find themselves bound to one another, under the same roof, in the same marriage to Jeremiah (Michael Fox). Over time, they begin to develop scary, new, and exciting feelings for each other. In a regressive, watchful community, they start to have thoughts of leaving the only life they have ever known behind.

Sister Wives is firmly the Louisa Connolly-Burnham and Mia McKenna-Bruce show. Their slow-burn relationship of Kaidence rightfully disliking Galilee upon her arrival stokes that glorious awkward tension that gives the film energy. You can feel the hostility in the looks Connolly-Burnham shoots out in those first few minutes. Yet as days go on, she warms, realising that Galilee is just another young woman pushed into something she was not ready for nor perhaps even wanted in the first place.

That is one of Sister Wives‘ strengths; it could easily tell the tale of these two women falling for one another and seeing where that leads. But Connolly-Burnham (wearing all of the proverbial hats on this production as director/writer/co-lead) also wants to tell the story of what it is like for some women in these modern times to be so restricted in their everyday actions within their community as Kaidence and Galilee are. In fact, these moments as the two begin to grow closer are some of the highlights of the film. The inclusion of technology (who hasn’t tried to make sure they keep beating the other’s Snake II score?) as a launching point to their frustrations with their community reels you in. You want to learn more about them and the environment they reside in, and if the film had been a feature-length piece, it surely would have.

If anything, that is the one negative aspect of the film, and it is barely one really, considering it is a short film, and time is rarely on a short film’s side. Connolly-Burnham has created such a world with this community that you actively want to see more of it. You want to see and know the group who watched our duo near the lake to understand how regressive this community is. However, any angst you have towards the film quickly evaporates thanks to the main thread Sister Wives takes us on.

As mentioned, Sister Wives is more than a coming out film, it is about breaking free of barriers that need not be there anymore, for women to be free to explore who they are. When Sister Wives does that, it flourishes. Kaidence and Galilee’s relationship may start off strained, but it grows into this tender, touching and in the end invigoratingly wonderful beast that you can only cheer for them. Their courage to break free and explore their identities is truly inspiring.

Louisa Connolly-Burnham is heartbreaking here as the constrained Kaidence. Originally scorned by her husband, you feel for her as loneliness sets in as if she has been cast to the side for this new woman with whom she has to live. She has an anger deep within her, not only of her current situation but of thinking she is stuck in this scenario and that there is no escape. The fear of someone, somewhere, watching and listening, is continually in her mind. Clearly, fear has been the way this community has decided to run itself, and it has cemented itself resolutely in her mind. Her terrific performance allows for that fear to slowly wash away from her. For her to accept who she is becoming and take those risks, even if there is a chance she will be caught.

This is in sharp contrast to Mia McKenna-Bruce as Galilee, though originally quiet and unsure of her place at the home, blossoms once Jeremiah (played ably in his limited time by Michael Fox) leaves for a mission. She already knows what life is like outside of their community and yearns for it. So when she finds a kindred spirit who she just so happens to feel a connection that is more than emotional towards, there is only ever going to be one direction she wants to take. Both of these performances evolve throughout, and you can tell the actors revelling in their roles due to the subtle notes they add to particular moments as they both break their oppressive chains.

Cinematographer Angela Zoe Neil keeps her focus soft throughout the film, allowing for the gentle relationship that is built to lighten up the screen. Shadows and lighting are constantly used to help evoke how our characters feel, be it Kaidence and Jeremiah surrounded in darkness as they eat uncomfortably close to each other. This leads us to the great work of Art Director Harrison Clark; the house always feels a bit too small, showing how constrained our characters are in this environment. It’s subtle work throughout, but when executed as well as it is here, it is so rewarding for the viewer. Having most of the scenes in which the two bond and their world open up outdoors is such a great idea.

Thanks to this and Louisa Connolly-Burnham’s confident direction, Sister Wives is a film that thrives in the world of optimism. You can’t help but feel it as those 28 minutes fly by. Oppression can only go so far, and in the end, for those who look for it, opportunities to blossom are never far away. This is an exceptional short that picks its moments perfectly.

★★★★

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