Some stories begin with heartbreak. Others begin with reflection.
For Miselwa Ngamlana, Blind Spots began somewhere in between.
The award-winning short film explores the emotional wounds and unconscious behaviours that shape the way people connect, love, and sometimes fail to understand each other. Inspired by what Missy describes as a “near-love experience,” the film digs into the quiet complexities that exist beneath relationships.
“I became interested in the unconscious behaviours and emotional wounds that create blind spots in relationships,” she says, “often preventing us from fully connecting with one another.”
But Blind Spots isn’t only about romance. It’s about recognition. The emotional patterns we carry without always realising it. The parts of ourselves we avoid confronting.
And through that, the film becomes deeply human.
Telling Queer Stories Without Separation
One of the most intentional parts of Blind Spots is how it approaches queer identity.
For Missy, it was important to write queer characters whose stories extend beyond labels or stereotypes.
“I’ve always wanted to write queer characters whose humanity exists beyond their sexuality,” she says. “Their story could easily exist in a heterosexual context, but centring queer characters was important to me because queer love stories deserve to be seen as part of everyday human experience.”
That perspective sits at the heart of the film.
Not positioning queer love as “other,” but as part of ordinary emotional life. Messy, intimate, complicated, and real.
Learning to Trust the Process
As a first-time director, making Blind Spots came with its own challenges.
One of the biggest was learning that directing doesn’t mean carrying everything alone.
“I initially thought accepting suggestions from my crew meant I wasn’t doing my job properly,” Missy says. “Over time, I realised filmmaking is deeply collaborative.”
That shift changed the process. Letting go of the pressure to have every answer opened up trust, collaboration, and ultimately a stronger film.
It’s a lesson many filmmakers learn over time, but rarely speak about honestly.
Stories as Healing and Resistance
For Missy, storytelling goes beyond entertainment.
“I tell stories to heal, to understand myself, and to express ideas and emotions that are often difficult to say out loud.”
But there’s also something political in the way Missy approaches film.
Missy is drawn to cinema’s ability to challenge perspectives, create dialogue, and say something meaningful about the world around us.
“Storytelling allows me to connect personal experiences to larger human truths,”.
That balance between the personal and the political is part of what gives Blind Spots its emotional weight.
The Importance of Short Films
Missy is passionate about the future of short-form storytelling, not as a stepping stone, but as an art form deserving of its own recognition.
“I hope short films continue to be valued as an art form in their own right,”… “They deserve the same care, recognition, and cultural importance as feature films.”
It’s a belief that feels increasingly important in a world built around fast consumption and short attention spans.
Short films can still hold complexity. Still create conversation. Still leave an imprint.
Sometimes in just a few minutes.
Stories That Inspired Missy
Among the short films that have stayed with Missy are The Long Goodbye by Aneil Karia and Spin by Precious Wura Alabi.
Both films reflect the kind of emotionally sharp, socially aware storytelling that continues to influence Missy’s work.
What Blind Spots Leaves Behind
At its core, Blind Spots asks audiences to look inward.
To examine the patterns, fears, and emotional habits that shape the way we love and connect with others.
“I hope the film encourages audiences to recognise the unconscious patterns that shape their relationships,” Missy says.
And maybe that’s what makes the film resonate.
Not because it has all the answers, but because it asks the kinds of questions people often avoid asking themselves.