Daron, Daron Colbert
Short Films, 11-Mar-2024
An actor living on the edge of one of the most polluted zip codes in the United States prepares for a role. Kevin Steen directs “Daron, Daron Colbert,” an atmospheric portrait of a young man’s day-to-day life while he aspires to a career in acting. We’re introduced to Delray, a heavily polluted neighborhood in Southwest Detroit. With mixed-media framing (35mm and Hi-8), Daron goes about his everyday life: he does a pickup at a nearby hardware store, works a shift at the auto bodyshop, and, ultimately, commutes into the city to submit his audition tape in-person. The film intercuts from what appears to be true interviews between Daron and Steen, to the character’s self-recorded audition tape. It’s an effective intersection of fact and fiction that functions well both narratively and formally. -JM. Director: Kevin Steen. Cast: Daron Colbert. DP: Shabier Kirchner. Producer: Alexandra Byer. Editors: Travis Moore, Juan Steck. Composer: James William Blades. Sound Design and Mix: Salvatore Cordova. Color: Mikey Pehanich. Titles: Caspar Newbolt.