2020 may be a sparse year for cinema, but it's not without its hidden gems. Ham on Rye is the debut feature from writer-director Tyler Taormina. It tells the story of a group of teenagers gathering at a deli for a traditional courting ritual. The film exists without a particular era or setting, somewhere in the haze of postwar suburban America. It’s arresting in its simplicity, yet awe-inspiring in scope. Despite all this, it’s also an approachable piece of pop art—and shot for less than $30,000.
A narrative film that eschews convention entirely is always a hard sell, but Taormina and his DP-producer Carson Lund were both compelled to work in this unique format. Their approach to storytelling is what you might call an “ecosystem film” or a work of “narrative pointillism"– guiding the viewer through a tapestry of details rather than a story. Filmmakers like Robert Altman and Jacques Tati have attempted this as well.
