There are many ways to create a meaningful work of art that connects with its audience. While their methods might vary, all of these approaches have one thing in common - they speak some manner of truth about the human experience. In the case of the short film Casey's Haul, that truth involves the recent disaster that struck the entire world and that is the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Here, the same short movie manages to tell a story that will reverberate with anyone who is or continues to struggle in the same dire circumstances.
The plot of the film is very familiar to millions across the world. It focuses on Ala'Rico (played by Emmanuel Moulton known as Big Dawg079), a family man who is stricken by a potential disaster. His daughter Casey becomes ill with COVID-19 and gets through it, but remains burdened by a range of health issues because of it. She can go through treatment, but the price of this is not something her family can afford. Ala'Rico, left with no job because of the pandemic, decided to do the unthinkable and rob a bank.
This sets a dramatic chain of events in motion. The film focuses on Ala'Rico and his moral dilemmas, as he is torn between the desire to help his loved ones and do the right thing. Through his contact with Detective Karuba, Ala'Rico works through this dilemma, knowing that a tragic solution is waiting for him at the end of that journey nonetheless.
Casey's Haul is without any doubt a work of passion and dedication. It shows the ability of one global calamity - which is the pandemic - to influence the lives of ordinary people beyond simply catching the virus. Instead, it resonates through different aspects of life and can easily make fictional stories like this one all too real. The movie cast does a great job of presenting this complex emotional network that connects all of them, which Moulton shines through as the dominant figure. His anguish and constant tension of what he has done and what he feels is the right thing to do feels more than authentic.
While technically a small indie film, Casey's Haul is an important piece of art about our collective experience of this terrible pandemic. It will remain an essential artistic document of our time and get only more important once the pandemic is finally over. Watch the whole short film right here and find out how you can support its creators on Big Dawg079 YouTube channel as well!
