The Manhattan Short Film Festival '08

So in an attempt to bring a little culture to our lives, I suggested Brad, Garrett and I attend the Manhattan Short Film Festival this past Friday night at our local independent movie theater. I guess we were the only ones interested in culture at 9:00 on a Friday night, because the three of us were the sole patrons. Of course that just led to us having a running commentary on all 12 short films without the worry of disturbing anyone else, so it was all in good fun.

Here are my thoughts on all 12 films.

Ripple
We actually walked in a minute or two late on this one (long story), but it wasn't hard to catch up on what was going on. From the UK, Ripple is the story of a man on his way to see his girlfriend when he encounters a series of unfortunate events (stolen wallet, hitting a dog, stealing a truck), but in a comical way. I wasn't impressed with this one. The pacing made the short 16 minute run time feel longer than it was. Though supposedly inspired by true events the director, Paul Gowers, once lived through, the plot and comedy feel exceptionally forced, which after reading comments of Mr. Gowers in the official program, was the exact opposite intentions of said director. The entire thing would feel more at home as a comedy sketch in a British variety show, rather than as an attempt of a short film. Though the ending did bring on some chuckles, the journey there wasn't really worth it.



Ode Ober (The Waiter)
At the end of the night, the audience got to vote on our favorite short of the evening. This was Garrett's choice. Ode Ober is a short from The Netherlands, following a waiter during the dinner rush at an Amsterdam restaurant. He is extremely perceptive, and as we follow his thought process, he is able to predict the actions of his patrons. It is clear he as done this a very long time, and on this particular day, someone or something in this particular crowd opens up to him the possibility of life outside the restaurant. A quiet film with a subtle message, Ode Ober gives little detail of its protagonist, yet gives you all the reason in the world to care about him. The film is beautifully shot, and the last 30 seconds of the short are visually fantastic juxtaposed against the rest of the film, giving the viewer sense of light-hearted closure. Definitely a good eight minutes spent.



Rachel
Almost like a watching a dramatic retelling of a scene from Juno, but not. Rachel (hey, that's my name) is pregnant (hey, me too) and giving her baby up for adoption (okay, the similarities end here). Almost the entirety of the short is Rachel meeting the baby's adoptive parents in person for the first time. In the last minute, American director Chris King pulls the rug out from underneath his audience, or tries to. In an attempt to get us to sympathize with the titular character, King spends a majority of the film's thirteen minutes in a never ending, tearjerker conversation between the three principal players. The only problem is, his "ah-ha" revelation in the last minute or so isn't quite that surprising, because Rachel seemed a bit off the entire time. It managed to hold my interest, but severely failed to shock me, if that was the key goal. My name deserves better.



Teat Beat of Sex
The only animated short of the bunch, and certainly the most comical, American entry Teat Beat told the story of Russian writer/director Signe Baumane's curiosities about sex as a teenager, from her first kiss in a graveyard up to the first time she had sex. Although done in a humorous light, all of the insecurities Signe felt came across as very real, bringing an extreme human quality to the fun, childlike cartoons. Certainly one of the better shorts of the night.



Sour Milk
A finalist from Israel, Sour Milk tells a story of writer/director Amit Gicelter's grandmother, who, as a little girl, went shopping with her mother one day when a riot broke out in the Arab market. The short shines a different light on Israeli/Arab relations, and though it is extremely sad overall, the kindness of the shop owner to go to great lengths to save the little girl is uplifting. I also found the film to be beautifully shot and one of the most well-acted shorts of the night.



New Boy
This Irish finalist got my vote for the best short. Joseph moves from Africa to Ireland and is extremely out of place at his new school. Being bullied, however, is nowhere near as hard for Joseph as his last day of school in Africa. I thought this one was bloody brilliant. I love that Joseph's first day in Ireland is spliced with his memories of his last day in Africa. The two separate settings created such a drastic visual polar opposite, that it really set the mood for the film. Even though there is a great sadness to Joseph with all the things he has endured and must continue to endure, by the end of the film we are given a ray of hope that he will be alright. This one almost made me cry.



Mother Mine
Another story about adoption, only from the flip side. From the UK, comes the short about Alison, a young woman who's just lost her adoptive mother and is determined to meet her birth mother to fill the gap. Yet her intentions aren't quite what they seem. It's really spooky how similar this and Rachel are. This one had more of a horror element to it though. The overall tension is extremely creepy and left me a little jarred. I'd really like to see this one fleshed out into a full-length feature.



Make My Day
A contender from Denmark, Make My Day shows the relationship between a father and son sitting in the ER one afternoon. The son sprained his ankle while running from bullies at school, and the father tries to convince him he must be more forceful, like their shared hero Clint Eastwood. The father/son dynamic I thought was brilliant. These two had an excellent chemistry together, bringing out a great sense of admiration from each side. It was quite a touching little story.



The Game
Bloody hell! Time to bring on the artsy surrealism. Two old men get naked and play a board game in an underground sewer. At least that's what it looks like. Really, they're playing this game on another plane of existence, and the loser dies in this life. I thought this New Zealand film was visually beautiful, with a great sense of shadow and light in the "parallel universe," but the story had its shortcomings. Since we know almost nothing of our two principal players, it doesn't really matter who dies in the end. I think director John Cohen Du-Four ended up sacrificing characters and plot for the sake of "edginess."



Change Coming
And now from Australia comes the story of a troubled couple on a farm. They are extremely broke and the wife isn't sure she can handle it anymore. The husband overhears her on the phone threatening to leave. He has decisions to make. Really nothing happened here. There's no real sense of loss or redemption. It's probably the short most grounded in reality, but in the end it was just dull and forgettable. (Notice how I can't even remember their names.)



Viva Sunita
This is the shortest short of the night. At three and a half minutes, this contender from India felt more like a commercial, sans the selling of any product. A guy stands below an apartment window, calling out "Sunita." When no one responds, strangers began to gather to help him call her name. I'm not really sure what the point of this short was, but it was kind of fun, a little silly and well shot in black and white. And it certainly didn't outstay its welcome either.



The Golden Thread
This was Brad's vote for best short. The Golden Thread is a modern day fairytale, of sorts. It shows the unknown connection we can have with complete strangers, because we are all connected by the same life force. One woman is unhappily married with her two kids. Another is single, living alone with her cat. Both are extremely lonely and depressed. Mystically connected by a "golden thread" in life, both women finally hit the breaking point, ultimately and unknowingly saving each other. This short from Spain was one of the best acted shorts of the night. Both leading women did an outstanding job. I really like the mythical force to the story also. It heavily reminded me of Pan's Labyrinth, with the strange fairytale existence affecting a very real world. I would like to see this one fleshed out into a full-length feature, as well.



So we certainly had a good time and I hope to do it again if Market Street happens to host next year's festival. It was a welcome change.