Film Review: Delaware Shore

Delaware Shore is an inspiring indie drama, written and directed by Raghav Peri, a New-Jersey-based filmmaker, originally from Hyderabad, India. Delaware Shore is Peri's feature-length Directorial debut. It’s the story of Holocaust survivor Agnes who escapes the concentration camps and finds refuge at a Delaware Beach. Haunted by the war and its atrocities, she finds herself raising her abandoned twin's grandchildren, Tasha and Gallagher. Her war experiences have made her incapable of showing affection but through obligation, she does the bare minimum to raise these kids. Despite the family atmosphere, Tasha is a bright, talented poet and Gall is a deeply sensitive glass-half-full optimist. However, Tasha and Gall both struggle with finding the affection they miss at home with sometimes unforeseen and life-changing consequences. How their lives unfold on the coast of "Delaware Shore" will form the rest of the story.

One of Delaware Shore's biggest achievements is the director's ability to show the relationships in this family, with all the struggles and complications, in a sensitive way. As Tasha and Gallagher grow, Agnes realizes she can't tell them what to do or how to live anymore: "I can't control them no more, I can't keep them safe". And from that moment on, they will make their own decisions. Not all of those decisions would be right for them, but just like life, they'll have to choose their own destiny and go through pain and sadness. The use of voice-over helped the audience not only feel and understand what's on the characters' minds, but also to realize the important message of the film, and the way Tasha and Gallagher's lives connected to Agnes' past was nicely done as well.

With outstanding performances by Gail Wagner as Agnes, Emily Mckinley Hill as Tasha, and James Robinson Jr. as Gallagher, Delaware Shore is a touching small film with a big heart, that tackles social issues and personal conflicts that everyone can relate to. "Delaware Shore" is a two-time LAFA winner - Best Score (David C. Hëvvitt) and Best Indie Filmmaker (Raghav Peri), January 2018.