Austin Film Festival Short Film Review: ‘Don’t Be Sorry’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Angie Rhee as June in David Au’s DON’T BE SORRY.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the Short Feature Film, ‘Don’t Be Sorry’.
​
One unfortunate truth about each and every one of us, is that we when we are angry or afraid or both… we tend to say and do vicious things. All because that fear and that anger boils over and somehow that primal jelly in the center of our brains prompts us to believe that lashing out will make us feel better, feel catharsis and safety, when in fact… it does nothing but damage. For those physical acts create genuine wounds that need to heal, and our words create different kinds of wounds that require a different kind of healing and what’s worse… is that sometimes we impart this kind of pain upon strangers and don’t think twice about it. Because we don’t have the face the consequences of what we’ve done.

At least, not right away, but that’s a discussion for another time. Because what matters more is that in that moment, is that the person we just snapped at or struck at, out of some foolhardy fear, is forever changed. They’re now filled with their own fear and anger, and those aforementioned wounds, all because we desperately wanted peace in that moment and truth be told, we didn’t find it. But now, they are headed down a unique and powerful path. Where they have to decide what to do with their own conflicted and broken emotions over what the just experienced. And it just so happens that the time has come for us, to understand what kind of impact these actions have, courtesy of a stunning short feature film from writer/director David Au, that recently screened at the Austin Film Festival in Don’t Be Sorry.

A film that introduces us to June. An Asian-American woman that is going through a shockingly difficult time in her life. For despite being an American citizen and living in suburbia with her beloved husband, George, horrible violence found their way into their lives. Through a hateful and racist attack upon her husband, one so awful it put him in the hospital. A moment that has indeed and rightfully left June beside herself and afraid, as she works to process the reality that racism found her family in such a manner and well… there’s little she can do reconcile it. She can only endure the power of fear, and the pain she carries and the anger that it all creates. For this was not supposed to happen to her, or her husband, not in the land of the free. But she does find some catharsis in slapping videos online, the kind that inform her… perhaps turnabout is fair play to the next person that opts to disrespect her.

---

Which brings about, one powerful story. One that truly does explore in haunting silence, the impact of people’s negative actions upon the innocent in perhaps one of the most timely and relatable ways imaginable. Since it wasn’t that long ago, that Asian-Americans were targeted in a horrific manner out of the stupid belief that somehow people of Asian descent in America, had something to do with the spread of a virus. Because of fear, because of anger and because those elements brought out the worst in people and brought them temporary catharsis by imparting harm on others. And by plunging us into the unfortunate zeitgeist of the past few years, we are deeply drawn into this story and vulnerable and open to June’s plight… one that outright breaks your heart.
​
Because just like that… we feel her fear, we feel her worry and confusion, and that is undoubtedly what the Asian-American community felt in that moment, and what others feel now for other reasons. Which is not to detract from those experiences, but it is important to recognize this is ongoing, and that people in similar situations are home right now, shivering in fear, feeling vulnerable and afraid and unsure of what horrors await them and who will be next to fire off a slur or outright harm them. Which is why it should come as no surprise that June embraces the violence imparted upon her and is happy to unleash it upon the one asshat that pushes her too far, without remorse or sorrow. Because she too, needs that catharsis, that sense of safety that she can defend what’s hers. Giving rise to a tragic ending really, one that speaks to the reality, stupidity is creating cycles of violence.

Which makes this… a powerhouse feature. One that makes it clear, we need to do something different. We need to stop giving into fear, and find new ways to deal with it and find new ways to process the horrors of the world, so others don’t have to commit to the cycle of violence, the cycle of dumb that humanity takes part in. But all lessons aside, what also makes this so powerful a feature, is that it really does showcase, the fallout of those news reports we only hear about and puts a human face upon a very real human experience, a negative one for certain, but an experience one the less. Which is why people do need to seek this film out and see it, to understand how the other half lives and to finally learn… that we have to be better, because we’re all the same in the end and we’re all in this together.

---