all the words but the one

Having your partner’s boss over for dinner, when a promotion is at stake, is already stressful enough. When Maya realizes that the boss’ husband is her ex, with whom she had a tumultuous parting, the evening takes a turn. With all the words but the one, writer/director Nava Mau, familiar to audiences for her work in front of the camera on celebrated shows like Baby Reindeer and Genera+ion, crafts a sensitive drama where past and present collide.

“When I began writing this story years ago, it was a tiny fire that I couldn’t put out”, Mau shared with us. While the situation is in itself quite conventional, Mau, utilizes her own talents as a prominent trans artist in the leading role opposite another trans actor (Shaan Dasani), and this subtle, largely unremarked upon detail adds a nuanced perspective to the piece, bending it away from its potentially farcical setup toward a work that interrogates the transphobia and misogyny so many face. Yet the film is not a polemic; in Mau’s words, “rather than indulging in a trauma narrative, this film presents a healing narrative.” After the initial collision, Mau plays with the past and the present before creating a new timeline that blends both, deepening the film emotionally through an understanding of Maya’s experiences.

The film’s flashbacks are stylistically distinct in shooting style and grade.

While the film forces its main character to confront a traumatic past, it does not engage in overt melodrama or rely on a heavy-handed good vs bad character dynamic. Instead, it focuses on moving forward. “For Maya and Santiago, their unexpected encounter helps them take stock of how far they’ve come.” When the film ends, Mau successfully creates a sense of closure over that chapter of her character’s past and conveys it perfectly to her audience, conveying a healing quality that is palpable. 

To enhance the emotional weight of her narrative, Mau also cleverly uses the visual aesthetic. The past and the present have significantly different cinematic languages that allow us to understand Maya’s state of mind at both stages of her life. From the framing to the camera movements and the color palette, these elements of the visual craft distinctly reflect the different periods in Maya’s life and how she situates herself in her world. When both timelines blend, the production came up with an approach that captures how surreal and uncomfortable the moment feels for both.  

Mau’s performance is restrained, but expressive, communicating the character’s internality.

The vulnerability present on the screen is also what stands out in this film. The sensitivity of the screenplay feels genuine, and the authenticity of all the characters is an immediate draw. The cast is incredible, but Mau herself is especially remarkable, as most of what her character goes through is unspoken. She conveys effectively the chaotic emotional roller coaster Maya embarks on throughout the evening, and with impressive nuance, she reveals the layers of her character. Her magnetic on-screen presence won’t be a surprise for anyone familiar with her work, but in this film, her ability to ground her character with very few lines is especially remarkable. 

While Mau’s contributions are key, the filmmaker is quick to credit the talents and dedication of the entire team in the short’s realization, especially with the added complication of Mau both directing and starring in the film. Community funded, some key supporters include the Mexican-American Cultural Education Foundation, The TransLatin@ Coalition, and the Hispanic Heritage Foundation, as well as the participation of the Trans Production Fellowship, which invited seven trans and non-binary to set for five days of mentorship, training, and hands-on experience. all the words but the one hit the festival circuit in 2024 with notable stops at Inside Out, NewFest, and Leeds, and we are pleased to share it with you as the film’s online premiere.