Independent filmmaker Chad Murdock delicately crafts a tender story of love and longing in his feature-length directorial debut, Fingers in the Wind. This mystery/romance hybrid sets three Black and queer young adults front and center, in the midst of evolving relationship dynamics and memories of the past. Serving as director, writer, producer, and editor, Chad’s preference for pastel visuals and restrained editing saturates the screen in a warm, artful way.
Set in a quaint section of NYC – untraditional to the majority of films set in the city – the audience can immediately settle into the film’s calming atmosphere. A beautifully composed one-shot, running almost two minutes in length, foreshadows one of the film’s defining themes: reflection. Opaque glass windows from the central location, a flower market, reflect a sort of optimism and newness stemming from the vibrant fresh flowers and active city streets. The protagonist, Young Man (Azendé Kendale Johnson), enters the frame and buys a bouquet of pink flowers, which will be prevalent throughout the rest of the film.
Meanwhile, two women Naya (Maya Holliday) and Faye (Taylor Brianna) are coming to terms with the end of their friendship. The reason for the breakup isn’t immediately clear, only that their relationship has become “empty”. Faye is heartbroken and quietly shocked at the drastic measure Naya has taken to sever ties. It’s shortly after saying goodbye to her former friend when a vulnerable Faye comes across the young man from the flower shop, who she believes she recognizes from her past as Kenny. Coincidentally, he does not recognize her but their undeniable chemistry cannot be overlooked, so Faye chalks up her misremembering to the passage of time and continues to spend the rest of the day with him.
It’s here when we start to realize that not everything is as it seems. After Faye confides in the man by sharing a deep-rooted secret of past trauma, the film takes a more surreal approach in its storytelling format. Like its title suggests, Fingers in the Wind encapsulates the feeling of trying to grasp onto something intangible, like a feeling or a moment in time. Confident performances from Taylor Brianna and Azendé Kendale Johnson, in particular, help guide the audience through the ambiguity of some of the film’s more challenging scenes.
Fingers in the Wind is a measured, artful examination of friendship, memory, desires, and longing. At times, it feels reminiscent of a Shakespearean love story of courting, although it plays rather ambiguously which could hinder its universal audience appeal. However, it is an impressive debut from a new voice in cinema, especially one that’s focused on Black, queer, coming-of-age stories.
