"Boy Inside"

23 July 2025

3 mins 31s

Actions speak louder than words.

When director Luke White and choreographer Jacob Jonas spoke to each other about childhood, they understood that the past has no voice—instead, "it hums, pulses, and returns in fragments". Not long after this tête-à-tête, White and Jonas came up with the idea for 'Boy Inside', a robust dance film about the inner child who is seen, not heard.

Jarrett Leary's character may be all grown-up, but he's also troubled by past events. His younger self (played by Damiano Bertoldo and Leonardo Tapparo) inflates a balloon that bursts in the adult's face—not the most auspicious start to this therapy session, but the second attempt works a treat and envelops him. Here's where the past collides with the present and then some.

The choreography is remarkable as Leary goes through the most graceful ringer possible. He's caressed, pummelled, and wrong-footed by the other dancers in a graceful melee, while flashes of insects make you wonder if he's about to get Franz Kafka'd. His inner child's not that cruel, though—he just wants to help his older self to feel lighter like—you guessed it—a balloon.

UK

Short Film