RAMBLER MAN | Omeleto Drama

A father and son go on a hike.


RAMBLER MAN is used with permission from Angus Imrie. Learn more at   / ramblermanfilm  .


A young man has moved back home, struggling with the deep sense of hopelessness and lethargy that are the hallmarks of depression. His loving, well-meaning father watches as his son's mental health deteriorates, and tries to get his son to talk or take an interest in life.

Nothing works, however -- until his father decides to help in the best way he knows. He takes his son out hiking in the beautiful Lake District, hoping to show his son that happiness can be found again if only he can take that hard but crucial first step.

Directed by Angus Imrie from a script written by Ewan Pollett (who also plays the young man), this intimate, beautiful short drama is a small, indelible portrait of a father's love for his son, and it's also a journey of helping and supporting a loved one through a mental health crisis. This is a quiet film, with sparing dialogue and an intimate naturalism in its domestic scenes, giving a sense of being cramped and weighed down by the pressures of life. But when both the viewers and the characters immerse themselves in the Lake District, a raw, natural beauty enters giving relief and perspective and allowing father and son to connect emotionally.

The storytelling weaves scenes of the present-day hike with flashes of the son arrival's back at his father's home, not getting out of bed and the father's attempts to help his son. As it builds, it's particularly effective in its understanding that depression is not the outpouring of tears or gnashing of teeth for many people, but a great weight on the soul that often renders its sufferers overwhelmed, numb and lethargic. It's also insightful in observing how hard it is for others to watch as their loved ones descend into the abyss. The father leaves pamphlets and tries to engage his son, but the younger man is locked in an emotional carapace and unable to see his way out.

But the father digs deep, literally excavating artifacts from the past for any hint of a way to reach his son. He intuits that nature and companionship might help, a choice that also brings a stunning natural dimension to the film. It's hard not to be captivated by the vistas captured in the cinematography, emphasizing the gorgeous views, hills and fog of the Lake District, or understand how such nature can be healing. And it's just enough to crack open the young son's frozen soul, allowing some love and light to enter.

RAMBLER MAN doesn't portray an easy cure to the son's suffering, and viewers sense that the young man's journey will continue well past the confines of the short film's narrative. As conversations around mental health widen to include men (who are often less likely to seek help around emotional crises and mental illness), the story is also moving in portraying two men connecting and being vulnerable around one another. In doing so, something crucial has been achieved: the son knows now that he is truly not alone and isolated as he felt. He knows people who love and support him will be there, every step of the way. In an emotional state where people often believe that no one cares or they don't matter, it's often this step that creates the most momentum, giving sufferers a lift and assistance as they learn to pull themselves out of the slough of despair.