Under The Surface

Synopsis

13-year-old Liv is on her first camping trip and struggles to make friends-until she meets Silvia, her first real friend. But Silvia is trouble, and soon Liv must decide: stay by her side or stand on her own.

13-year-old Liv, on her first camping trip, battles loneliness until she forms a fast bond with Silvia, a charismatic but dangerous girl. As their friendship takes a dark turn, Liv must decide whether to cling to her new ally or find the strength to stand alone.

Lasse Gottlieb, a self-taught Danish filmmaker born in 2001, delivers a haunting and poignant short film in Under the Surface, blending the raw ache of adolescent isolation with a chilling supernatural edge. Drawing from his own experiences of childhood longing, Gottlieb crafts a coming-of-age story that resonates universally while showcasing his passion for genre filmmaking. With cinematographer Jonas Bech’s evocative visuals and standout performances from Mia Homann and Silja Ellemann Kiehne, the film transforms a summer camp into a crucible for moral dilemmas and eerie revelations, marking Gottlieb as a rising talent with a knack for dark, introspective storytelling.

Directed by

Lasse Gottlieb

Lasse Gottlieb

Written by

Cast

Mia Homann, Silja Ellemann Kiehne, Lian Mascarenhas, Kit Caroline Løvenhardt, Isabella Joan Petersen Leece, Tøger Rykind-Eriksen

Lasse Gottlieb

The film opens with a striking underwater shot in a swimming pool, where a necklace slips free and sinks—a potent symbol of the buried truths that will soon surface. Liv, portrayed with heartbreaking authenticity by Mia Homann, is a 13-year-old outsider, her yearning for connection palpable as she watches her peers’ carefree play. Her mother’s distracted parenting—offering money instead of attention—deepens Liv’s solitude, setting the stage for her encounter with Silvia, played with magnetic menace by Silja Ellemann Kiehne. Silvia’s bold gestures—sharing earbuds, tucking a flower behind Liv’s ear, daring her to smoke—spark an exhilarating yet uneasy bond that propels the story forward.

Gottlieb’s script, rooted in his reflections on the compromises of youth, captures the intoxicating rush of first friendship and its hidden perils. The dialogue, from awkward mother-daughter exchanges to Liv and Silvia’s playful banter, feels achingly real, while silences amplify the emotional weight. The narrative’s shift to the supernatural—revealing Silvia’s ghostly link to a tragic lake drowning—introduces a layer of dread, though the campfire tale that sets it up leans slightly on familiar tropes. Liv’s climactic rejection of Silvia, marked by casting off the gifted necklace and pushing her into the lake, is a powerful moment of self-assertion, echoing Gottlieb’s belief that true bonds honor individuality.

Jonas Bech’s cinematography elevates the film, using low-angle shots to immerse us in Liv’s perspective and contrasting the forest’s warm glow with the lake’s icy menace. Visuals like Liv framing the world with her hands or the necklace sinking into the depths add poetic depth, though the motif occasionally feels heavy-handed. The sound design, from pool splashes to eerie night whispers, enhances the atmosphere, though a rushed edit during a tent confrontation briefly disrupts the flow.

Mia Homann shines as Liv, her expressive vulnerability anchoring the film, from tentative hope to terror-stricken resolve. Silja Ellemann Kiehne is equally compelling as Silvia, blending charm and menace with a performance that chills without overplaying the supernatural. The ensemble of camp kids adds levity, though their roles remain secondary to Liv’s arc.

Despite minor ripples—such as the abrupt supernatural pivot or the necklace’s overstated symbolism—Under The Surface is a triumph of emotional and visual storytelling. Gottlieb, already developing a feature adaptation of his short Feed the Dog, proves himself a filmmaker who can mine personal struggles for universal truths while pushing the boundaries of short-form genre cinema. With Bech’s luminous visuals and Homann and Kiehne’s gripping performances, the film lingers like a chill off a haunted lake. For anyone who’s ever sought belonging at a cost, Under The Surface is a poignant, unsettling reminder to choose oneself.

2025, Denmark, 17 min

Sophie Eberhard

Produced by

Ashraf Shishir

Luminous Frames and Emmy Awards juror.