Ladies and gentlemen, Malin Ingrid Johansson’s Swedish short film drama DECK 5B tells a heart-rending tale about a mother torn between duty and desire. We meet recently divorced Mia, portrayed by award winning actress Alma Pöysti, along with her son, as she heads for her first holiday together with her new love, but complications soon arise when Mia’s yearning to relax and let her hair down comes into conflict with her parental responsibilities. This gripping short premiered at the 2024 Toronto International Film Festival where it claimed the Best International Short Film award, thereby qualifying it for the 2025 Academy Awards. The storyline and the cinematography causes you to focus solely on the relationship of the mother and the son. We are draw into both of their emotions, and the dilemma of the mother. The cinematography and the coloring play a part in this film as it does seem a bit cool and drab, as the relationship being the mother and son is not exactly a happy one. The mother tries to bring joy, but the son reminds her of his disapproval in both words, action and emotion. DECK 5B is a must see short film and it has all the elements that make it worthy of being Oscar-qualified.  #oscars #academyawards #Sweden #Swedishfilm #ferryboat #filmmaking #filmdirector #filmdirector #screenwriter #divorcedmother #singlemom #relationship #vacation #parentalresponsibility