Katelin Describes a Crisis
From the Archives
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Short Films, 27-May-2026
A family invents a series of rituals to describe the trouble they're in: first a burial, then an alien invasion. “Katelin Describes a Crisis,” directed by Stephen Wardell, is an avant-garde exploration featuring an intriguing cast of kids making a pre-apocalypse movie with an older family member. The group holds it down at their seaside RV. They venture into the surrounding environment to study the fauna and flora. Stephen leaves Katelin with an audio recorder, assigned to narrate the events as they occur, and she does so in song. Amidst some turbulent weather and visiting creatures in the night, a doomsday presence looms. It’s a tender capsule of youthful spirits; Wardell, who we hear only occasionally from behind the camera, lets the ensemble breathe their own magic into the movie. -JM. Director: Stephen Wardell. Cast: Anna Wardell, Julian Wardell, Katelin Wardell, Levi Wardell, Uriah Wardell. Image, Sound, Edit: Stephen Wardell.
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