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CategoryShort Films

Posted Film Festivals

Slamdance: Inside the Storm

Nadav (Ben-Oved Berkovich) is reeling from a bad breakup with Neta. Seeking solace, he meets up with a former lover, Amit  (Harel Glazer), whom he hasn’t seen in a while. Their reunion is raw and intense. Any feelings they have for each other must be kept secret. The next day Nadav and Amit pretend like nothing happened and Nadav has to decide what to say to Neta.

Directed by Daniel Bloom, Inside the Storm is a quiet and spare short film about the decisions we make during times of heightened emotion. It’s minimalist film, with only a handful of scenes. The camera lingers on the subject; nothing is rushed. The film as a whole reminded me of a few key scenes from Barry Jenkins’ Moonlight. 

Inside the Storm screened as part of the virtual 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.

Posted BIPOC

Slamdance: Trammel

Dale (Dale A. Smith) visits the local pharmacy in his small town to chat with his buddy Mohammad (Mohammad Dagman). Dale is lonely and Mohammad is a great listener. As their conversation progresses, we learn about Dale’s tumultuous past.

Trammel is a sensitive portrait of loneliness. Directed by Christopher Jason Bell, this 11 minute short film, on the surface, is a window into a private conversation. But then it gives the viewer so much more. Through this conversation, we learn enough about Dale to empathize with him. He’s lonely and in desperate need of a friend. And when Mohammad isn’t there, we want to be there to listen to Dale. We want to be that friend. Empathy is an essential part of human nature that often gets overlooked. Trammel effectively brings it to light.

Trammel screened as part of the virtual 2021 SlLamdance Film Festival.

Posted Female Filmmakers

Slamdance: Bare Bones

Meryem Lahlou’s short film Bare Bones is a magnificent piece of experimental cinema. It’s a visual masterpiece that in a mere 10 minutes makes the the viewer contemplate the meaning of their own existence. The film begs the question: who  are we when we all share the same face? Stripped of everything that gives us our individuality, what kind of existence would that be? In this 3D animated short, we see homogenous creatures in motion, moving about in minimalist spaces. A disembodied voice dissects the human experience.

The filmmaker was inspired to tell a story about identity. In her director’s statement Meryem Lahlou writes

“I chose to put humanity in a hostile and extreme context, where the earth has lost its abundance, where plastic is the most available resource, where the collective consciousness is reduced to survival.”

This film gave me serious Fritz Lang vibes. I couldn’t help but think of Destiny (1921)  and Metropolis (1927). The visuals in Bare Bones are absolutely stunning. Watch it once as a meditation and a second time as art.

Bare Bones was screened as part of the virtual 2021 Slamdance Film Festival. Learn more about the film here.

Posted Film Festivals

Slamdance: In France Michelle is a Man’s Name

Michael (Ari Damasco) travels back home to visit his estranged parents in the rural countryside. His mother (Olga Sanchez) and father (Jerry Carlton) are still coming to terms with Michael being their transgender son who previously went by Michelle. Michael and his father travel into the city where his father tries to initiate Michael into what he considers the standard right of passage into manhood.

In France Michelle is a Man’s Name is a quiet yet powerful short film about identity and the cruelty of our gender binary culture. Directed by Em Weinstein, the film explores themes of acceptance, understanding and the pressure of societal norms. I was particularly struck by Damacso and Carlton’s performances. They play well off each other. The tension between the two is palpable but so is the unspoken love they have for each other, even if it leads to the father’s misguided actions. 

In France Michelle is a Man’s Name was screened as part of the virtual 2021 Slamdance Film Festival.

Posted Film Festivals

Slamdance: Autoscopy

A sound engineer escapes into the Swedish countryside to record nature sounds. On this venture he stumbles upon an abandoned flotation device. After a night of sound mixing and imbibing homemade mushroom tea, he has an out of body experience that is out of this world.

Directed by Claes Nordwall, Autoscopy is a 14 minute short film that speaks to the mystery and magic of nature. It’s more than a short film, it’s an experience. It offers stunning aerial cinematography and out-of-this-world sound effects. The director writes “this short film stands on its own but is also intended as a proof of concept for a feature currently in development.” Now that’s a feature film I would watch!