Before Goodbye
Told entirely through a split screen, Before Goodbye follows a late-night phone call between two people on the verge of separation. Their only physical connection is a charging cable stretching between their devices, a quiet but constant presence as the conversation unfolds.
As the call continues, the cable tightens, shifts, and falters, mirroring the strain beneath their words. What begins as routine conversation gradually exposes emotional distance, hesitation, and the inability to say what matters.
When the cable is finally unplugged, the connection collapses without resolution.
Before Goodbye is a minimalist exploration of modern intimacy, where connection is sustained by technology but undone by silence.
-
Dylan Sebastian LawlessDirector
-
Jason SomervilleWriterFirst Impressions, Gut Punch, Undercurrent
-
Jason SomervilleProducerFurst Impressions, Gut Punch, Dated Tomorrow
-
Micheal KoliaKey Cast"Sean"
-
Korinna JoergKey Cast"Claire"
-
Project Type:Short
-
Runtime:4 minutes 51 seconds
-
Completion Date:March 17, 2026
-
Production Budget:1,000 AUD
-
Country of Origin:Australia
-
Country of Filming:Australia
-
Language:English
-
Aspect Ratio:16:9
-
Film Color:Color
-
First-time Filmmaker:No
-
Student Project:Yes - SAE
Dylan Sebastian Lawless is a 24 year old Australian/Aboriginal filmmaker and screenwriter whose work focuses on character-driven storytelling and grounded emotional realism. His projects often explore themes of identity, grief, and interpersonal relationships, with an emphasis on the subtle psychological and emotional experiences that shape human behaviour.
Lawless has developed a number of original screenplays, demonstrating a consistent interest in intimate narratives and morally complex characters. His writing balances naturalistic dialogue with considered visual storytelling, reflecting a broader interest in realism and the use of cinematic form to convey internal states.
As a director, Lawless is drawn to performances and atmosphere, prioritising authenticity and emotional clarity. His approach is informed by a sensitivity to tone and pacing, with a focus on creating work that resonates beyond the screen.
He continues to develop original projects across film and television.
Before Goodbye explores the quiet space where relationships end long before anyone is willing to acknowledge it.
What drew me to the script was its restraint. The writing avoids confrontation and instead focuses on absence. The distance between Sean and Claire is not created through conflict, but through what is left unsaid. Their conversation feels familiar on the surface, but underneath it carries a growing sense of disconnection.
The tension comes from that gap.
The film is built around the idea that emotional separation often happens gradually. Small deferrals. Missed opportunities to engage. Conversations that circle rather than land. Each moment feels insignificant in isolation, but together they form a pattern that becomes impossible to ignore.
Visually, the split frame allows both characters to exist in the same moment while remaining physically and emotionally separate. It reinforces the illusion of connection while highlighting its limits. The use of the charging cable as a visual constraint became central to this approach. It grounds the relationship in something tangible, and when that connection is removed, the shift is subtle but final.
The style is deliberately restrained. Static compositions, minimal movement, and controlled performances allow the audience to sit inside the discomfort rather than be directed away from it. Silence, pauses, and small physical actions carry as much meaning as dialogue.
Before Goodbye is not about resolution. It is about recognition. The moment when both people understand what is happening, but neither chooses to say it.
And in that silence, the relationship quietly ends.
