In every instance, our school years are destined to be finite, and while a portal to new beginnings, the months that mark the era’s end underscore the precariousness of what’s to come. Set against the sun-lit glow of June days, and the spectre of uncertain futures, David Findlay directs a picture of grief through the lens of youth in cinematic short, Lay Me By The Shore. Premiered at Berlinale and TIFF 2022, the film follows high school senior Noah as his final weeks of school signal an unravelling of events that accompany the recent and sudden loss of his friend.

Played by Isla Pouliot – who stars alongside Kai Smith, and a cast of first-time actors – we witness Noah’s struggles as a transgender teenager trying to navigate his grief and the unpredictability of his reactions, via personal relationships, and the reverberations felt by the tight community around which his world is centered. Weighted with feeling and sensitivity towards its lead at his most fragile, Lay Me By The Shore takes narrative inspiration from the lyrics of The White Birch, the Norwegian artist who also soundtracks the film.

Based in Vancouver, Findlay weaves the brooding beauty of Canada’s natural landscape into quiet vignettes, reflecting the raw immediacy of Noah’s emotions, pulsating within as the grip of grief threatens to overcome him. As moments of lightness cave to unforeseen reminders, Lay Me By The Shore captures the volatility of his inner dialogue, and the twisting path followed as dissociation and escapism give way to surging realisation and acceptance.