In the wake of one loss, Noé Santillán-López studied another. As a memorial to his grandfather, Santillán-López's developed the short Si Tú No Estás (If You're Gone) with an unselfconscious pathos. Just as a grieving father and husband learns to accept the death of his wife, Santillán-López celebrates the life of a man who shaped his, making for a film as turbulent as it is gentle and hopeless as it is hopeful. Based on Carlos Rivas Larrauri's poem Por Qué Me Quité del Vicio, it's a short of lyricism, romanticism and the bitterness that comes with the unwelcome unexpected.

Opening shots of Julian (Bruno Bichir), a roaming musician of ballads, already showcase his descent into alcoholism. Without knowing how to comfort himself, Julian is little help to his son Sebastian (Ivan Arriaga). As the two mourn quietly, neither able to connect with the other, Ana's (Veronica Toussaint) spirit lingers on to shelter, even in absence, her family.

Sketching the portrait of a desperate and guilt-ridden man, Bichir taps equally into anger and sadness, his performance in sweeps violent and loving. Acting newbie Arriaga stumbles at times in sentimentality, but his control over quiet moments pierces through the veil of a child's fear and confusion about mortality, his focus gripped onto exploring what's underneath those, how, especially in times of uncertainty, children grasp onto their parents for guidance. The two play off each other seamlessly and subtly, particularly in the last scene where Sebastian slides away from Julian as the older man throws a toy car against the wall. It's a beautiful instant of pure helplessness for both man and boy.

Bouyed by Sofia Silva's tender and simple score, Santillán-López's story reaches out to a genius, not quite making it all that way but proving great promise of it. Cinematographer Juan Jose Saravia's painterly handheld, outwardly reflecting Julian's lack of focus and the emotional shakiness of his day-to-day life, works nicely in the hands of editor Rodrigo Zozaya, who deftly handles jump cuts and abrupt cuts on the move with ease. Not terribly unexpected, sound design is technically weak in the student film, but the overall quality of the story, acting and visual art is so high that in Santillán-López's hands Si Tú No Estás (If You're Gone) promises to make an emotionally compelling debut feature.

For more information on the film visit http://situnoestas.com/.