Mesopotamia, TX was shot during an actual eclipse -

Mesopotamia, TX is spectacular in the sense that it was shot during an actual eclipse. I haven’t seen a movie achieve this before, and what makes it even more special is witnessing everyone’s genuine reactions as it happens. Everything is captured in such a unique and joyful way.

Going into this short film, I wasn’t sure what to expect. It’s hard to pin down a genre, so I’ll do my best to explain it. But whatever it is, I enjoyed it.

Director Lucy Gamades delivers a film with a unique story and setting that makes it stand out. There’s no drama, action, thrills, or high stakes—just a quiet, peaceful moment that resonates. It’s essentially watching two people meet for the first time. Imagine meeting your partner for the first time, and it’s being filmed. It’s a grounded experience that fully immerses you.

The fact that this movie was filmed during a real eclipse is the crème de la crème here. The level of rehearsing and timing required to pull it off without a hitch must have been immense, but it paid off. This was a film where time—literally—was money.

Megan Greener and Nicky Maindiratta star as two individuals living separate lives, each attending the eclipse for their own reasons. Megan’s character, Emma, is prepared—water, food, solar glasses, and dressed for a hike. Meanwhile, Nicky looks like a tourist who stumbled into the wrong place, wearing a red cowgirl hat and a colorful t-shirt.

Nicky, appearing lost and a bit out of place, finds Emma and sits beside her. At first glance, he comes across as the type you might assume to be an ex-jock or someone who could be a little much. But he’s actually the opposite. He’s made this grand trip hoping to meet up with a girl he’s been on a few dates with. Initially, it seems sweet, but as the film progresses, you start to wonder—does he even know if he’s doing this for the right reasons?

Spending that brief window of time with Emma, I think he learned more about himself, relationships, and the importance of understanding another person’s beliefs and perspectives. In just 19 minutes, we see his character grow. Emma, on the other hand, is more reserved and mature in her thinking. She carries a quiet pain—one we don’t fully learn about—but it lingers in the background.

I’m not entirely sure they fall in love. I think they were two lost people who found each other, and maybe—just maybe—that’s enough for them to take a journey together. As friends, or maybe something more.