I Long for You to See Me

An art gallery attendant spends her days watching strangers move through the rooms she tends, until one visitor stops her cold: a young woman she believes may be the daughter she gave up for adoption many years earlier. Unable to introduce herself and unable to look away, she begins to follow the girl, drawn by a longing she has carried in silence for most of her adult life. Directors Anthony Mullins and Kris Kneen keep this Australian short spare and observant, letting Helen O'Leary carry the film through glances and hesitation, with Sidney Shorten and Grace Royle completing the small cast. In twelve quiet minutes, I Long for You to See Me considers what it means to want to be recognized by someone who does not know you exist.