Overview & Premise
The film centers on Wendy Lyn, whose teenage years unfold over two decades at her childhood home’s front porch—the timeless threshold where brief partings turn into long, lingering goodbyes. In this quietly powerful setting, what is typically a momentary farewell to friends or family becomes a recurring emotional ritual. The narrative unfolds through snapshots: conversations, silences, with far more said in looks and pauses than any dialogue.
Cast & Creative Team
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Directed and Written by: Steph Wong Ken
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Leading Cast:
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Éric David Arsenault
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Lamont James Brown
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Lavern Chambers
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These three convey the film’s emotional depth through subtle expressions and body language, anchoring the story's slow-burning reflection on time, attachment, and loss.
Themes & Style
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Time and Transition: By compressing twenty years into a single locale, the film captures how fleeting moments can feel endless in their emotional weight.
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The Ritual of Goodbyes: It explores the human tendency to prolong farewells, as if lingering might ease separation—but often, the final goodbye remains the hardest.
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Minimalist Storytelling: With limited dialogue, the film relies on visual storytelling—simple lighting, natural sound, and pacing that mirrors memory’s ebb and flow.
Why It Resonates
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Many viewers will connect with the emotional realism—those subdued moments where farewells stretch, and unspoken feelings linger.
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It's a subtle yet powerful piece on growing up, letting go, and the places we return to emotionally, even as we move forward.
Final Thoughts
The Long Goodbye (2025) is an intimate, considered short film that uses a simple setting and minimal plot to cultivate emotional resonance. It proves that sometimes the most profound gestures—like a goodbye—can endure far longer than any hero’s journey. Perfect for those who appreciate cinematic poetry in everyday life.
