Oh My Soul

A beautifully shot, very detailed film that is filled with unreality and symbols. The protagonist is Abigail (convincingly played by the artist Catiah Li), an Asian woman who lives temporarily with her aunt in Chicago. The other roles are played by non-professional actors. It gives the film an authenticity and mood all of its own; its own relationship to film as an art form.
Abigail suffers from insomnia. Since her aunt died, she has increasing difficulty in distinguishing dream from reality. Very few people can follow or understand her. The very ill Hector from Colombia, whom she chances upon and who initially only needed a place to sleep, is one of them.
The mood and setting of Oh My Soul are extremely realistic. The same mood also continues to maintain the dreaminess of Abigail’s and perceptions. In this way the film provides an unusual portrait of the multi-ethnic character of a society in downtown Chicago, without ever becoming directly documentary.
The crew was largely made up of people who are themselves artists or film makers, while the actors often play themselves in their own neighbourhood. Maybe the unusual mood of the film can be explained because the maker based it on a dream he once had. (GjZ)