It Happened In August is written and directed by Artima Sakulkoo, who also steps in front of the camera as the film’s lead. In just 15 minutes, the short tells a quiet but emotionally grounded story about love, grief, and growth, never rushing its characters or overstating its intentions.

It follows Aim (Artima Sakulkoo), a Thai immigrant who has returned to New York with her younger brother after going back home following their mother’s passing. She comes back with her artistic dreams shattered, now working long shifts at a Thai restaurant, carrying the kind of emotional weight that doesn’t announce itself loudly but never really leaves.

One late August evening, her ex-girlfriend, Sandra (Linsy Segarra), now an acting coach walks into the restaurant unannounced. The unexpected reunion immediately stirs buried emotions and forces the two women into an honest conversation about grief, love, and missed time. For Aim, the encounter sparks something deeper: the slow resurgence of a creative spirit she believed was gone for good.

As old feelings resurface, Aim must navigate her growing family responsibilities alongside her longing for a life in the arts, discovering the courage to open herself to possibility again, even if that possibility feels risky.

The film opens with a brief but effective scene in which Aim receives a phone call from home informing her of her mother’s death. Before she can fully process that loss, Sandra arrives with good news of her own. She’s been accepted for an acting role. The contrast between these emotional realities lands hard. It highlights a familiar truth about relationships: two people can be dealing with completely different storms at the same time, yet still feel obligated to show up for each other.

Sakulkoo frames this opening moment in a boxed 4:3 aspect ratio, a deliberate choice that situates the scene firmly in the past. The intention becomes clear the moment the film cuts to the next scene.

Now in the present day, Aim returns to her New York apartment, where we meet her brother Aro (Marvin Moser) and his bubbly girlfriend. It’s immediately clear how much has changed. Aim is no longer just surviving for herself. She’s responsible for her brother, who has also immigrated for school. A phone call with their father reinforces the weight of expectations now resting on her shoulders.

Before Sandra appears at the restaurant, the film gives us a glimpse into her life as well. She runs acting classes and seems genuinely fulfilled, yet it’s clear she misses Aim. That longing pushes her to reconnect. When they finally see each other, the unspoken truth is obvious. They’ve both been carrying this absence for a long time, and reconnecting is necessary.

The narrative leans on flashback montages to trace the arc of their relationship, showing how deeply creativity once bonded them. But can they really fix what was broken?

Aim believes she’s too burdened by responsibility now to return to that shared life of art. Sandra, on the other hand, hasn’t given up. As Aim puts it, “The reason you made it is that I let you go. I can’t be the one pulling you down.” With this, you feel that she indeed loves Sandra. Enough to let her go.

Both Artima Sakulkoo and Linsy Segarra deliver grounded, natural performances. Their love and hurt feel lived-in, never forced. These aren’t overly complex roles, and that simplicity works in the film’s favour. Not just for the narrative’s sake, but so as not to bore the viewer. Also, aesthetically, the film is modest but effective. The visuals and audio are exactly what you’d expect from a dialogue-driven short, and they serve the story without distraction.

This isn’t a film that begs for continuation or leaves you desperate for more. It gives you just enough, then steps aside. But the message lingers: love and grief can and often do coexist. And they can only do so if you give them a chance.

Rating: 3.5/5 Stars