I See You (2024) Short Film by Briar March

Watch I See You (2024), the moving drama short film directed by Briar March. Get the full synopsis, cast details, and upcoming festival screening dates.

👩‍👧 I See You (2024) — Narrative Short Film by Briar March

What does it mean to love unconditionally in a world obsessed with perfection? I See You, directed and written by Briar March, is a 17‑minute drama from New Zealand that confronts this question with tenderness and courage. It’s a story about a young mother, her baby daughter, and the quiet storm of expectations that surrounds them.

🧭 Overview

Genre: Narrative / Drama / Family / Social Commentary 🎭
Director & Writer: Briar March 🎬✍️
Producer: Caroline Hutchison
Cinematography: Adam Luxton 🎥
Editor: Adam‑Luka Turjak ✂️
Music: Dana Lund 🎼
Sound Design: Vedat Kiyici
Runtime: 17 minutes
Country: New Zealand 🇳🇿
Language: English
Release Date: August 6, 2024 (New Zealand)
Festivals & Awards:
- Whānau Mārama: New Zealand International Film Festival (NZ’s Best)
- Australian Women’s Film Festival 2024 — 🏆 Best Actor (Anne March), Best Cinematography, Audience Award
- Newport Beach, Naples, FIFO Tahiti, Crystal Palace IFF London, and more

Watch the short:

📖 Story in Brief

In a near‑future world where “perfect babies” can be chosen, a young mother named Anne struggles to bond with her newborn daughter, who has Down syndrome.

The Pressure: Society whispers that she could have chosen differently.
The Conflict: She feels torn between love for her child and the crushing weight of expectation.
The Journey: Through moments of doubt, tenderness, and confrontation, she learns to see her daughter not as a diagnosis, but as a person.
The Resolution: The film closes on a note of acceptance — fragile, imperfect, but deeply human.

🎨 Creative DNA & Style

Grounded realism: Naturalistic performances and intimate camerawork pull us into the mother’s inner world.
Symbolic framing: Close‑ups of the baby’s face contrast with wide shots of sterile, futuristic settings.
Emotional pacing: The film allows silences and pauses to carry as much weight as dialogue.
Social critique: Without preaching, it questions the ethics of genetic “perfection” and the cost of conditional love.

🌟 Themes & Resonance

Unconditional love vs. societal pressure ❤️
Disability representation — challenging stereotypes with empathy
Motherhood & identity — the raw, unfiltered emotions of parenting
Choice & ethics — what does it mean when technology lets us “design” life?

✅ Pros & ❌ Cons

Pros

🎯 Emotionally powerful: Hits hard in just 17 minutes.
🎥 Award‑winning cinematography: Visually striking yet intimate.
👩‍👧 Authentic performances: Anne March delivers a deeply moving portrayal.

Cons

⏳ Short runtime: Leaves you wanting more of the mother’s backstory.
🌀 Heavy subject matter: May be emotionally intense for some viewers.

💡 Humanized Takeaway

I See You is not just about a mother and her child — it’s about how we, as a society, define worth. Briar March uses a simple domestic story to ask profound questions: Can we love without conditions? Can we see beyond labels? The film’s power lies in its quiet honesty, reminding us that imperfection is not failure — it’s humanity.