An internet blip ago, Studio Ghibli’s (and Hayao Miyazaki’s) signature look became, overnight, instantly reproducible (at the mere cost of energy and water).
I have my own conclusions about the realities cultural moments like these enable, but … if we can make passable images so quickly, there’s a question growing in the back of my mind. How will we continue to justify doing something the hard way, the old way? Rather, how will filmmakers convince financiers it’s worth climbing physical, figurative mountains to get the perfect shot? What’s the point of aiming high and swinging big if there’s lower, easier targets to shoot for?
Responding to these questions each in their own ways are the seven short films of this year’s Not Short on Talent cohort, playing at the Cannes Film Festival’s Short Film Corner this month. They remind of the result, of the intangible magic, going the distance can actually make.
En Plein Air, Morgana McKenzie’s sci-fi short, is, for an example of doing something the hard way, downright creatively dogmatic. Shooting only with natural light (and on location in the Mojave Desert), McKenzie’s photography produces remarkable images of a painter determined to rise, grind, and paint … and this time, paint something good. Time is scarce, resources are limited, and the artist is confronted with monoliths of self-doubt. Aren’t they always?
Yves et Ses Bonsaïs, Ophelia Spinosa’s documentary about a Quebecois senior’s bonsai collection, is, in addition to being a lovely and warm crowd-pleaser, proof that time and vision are not things that can always be rushed. Growing something special — like a happy lifelong marriage, or the weird and wonderful specimens in Yves’ garage — requires humour, a firm and steady hand, and, above all, patience.
The Palace, a genre-hybrid short by Lauren Marsden, takes us to a secret hideout in the woods, a classic setting for authentic offline experiences. Reaching this spot is a bit of a hike, but once there, it’s a Terabithia for twenty-somethings: a fortress of fairy lights, beer cans, and moss carpets. To get there, go off the suburban path, shimmy along a log, continue further into the trees (talk about the hard way). Meeting here today are Jayde and Dani — friends, definitely, but there’s something more that’s clearly between them … and something else that’s not-so-clearly lurking outside.
Sitting Bird, Athena Han’s measured and handsome short, also presents the forest as a place of mystery opposite suburbia, but more so as a realm of chaos that abuts the hierarchies and constructs of success and purpose. There, a stay-at-home dad — weighed down by with feelings of inadequacy as a provider — finds himself one day on a wild flamingo chase recovering a lost pet seen on neighbourhood posters, and it’s his human (and humane) sensitivities in this quest that bring so much to the table.
Still Moving, Rui Ting Ji’s animated short about a mother and daughter’s strained relationship as they drive a rental moving truck forward, balances cultural nuance and family dynamics as they reflect on everything that’s behind them — divorce including. There’s a lot crammed into this U-Haul of misunderstanding one another, but a mature and subtle animation style makes this a pleasure to unpack it all.
I Hate Babies, Sidney Leeder’s, Alona Metzer’s, and Walter Woodman’s darkly funny short, has the script and wit to land its head-turning title. Her character is surrounded by “mombies,” new parents who are so happy to have children, it’s the best, they promise! She’s not convinced, but with her IUD recently out, the possibility of pregnancy is on her mind. Pregnancy and having a child is about one of the realest things a human can do, but it’s certainly not for everyone; by confidently portraying a multitude of perspectives on the topic, this short absolutely is.
BOA, Alexandre Dostie’s major (and internationally co-produced) short, is filmmaking on a scale that surpasses many features. He manages to draw a straight slither from an abbey of practicing monks atop a hill down to a fitness gym in the town centre. In doing so, he juxtaposes two different fraternities of hoods and simple cloth, of religious attendance and daily ritual against one another, and after an act of God tears the roof of the abbey asunder, one young monk has the chance to prove himself in ways previously unseen.
These shorts are guaranteed to impress: not just for their stories or inspired direction, but because each one successfully returns a pointed answer to the questions trends and market forces are posing.
Attending Cannes this month? Watch Telefilm’s Not Short on Talent selections on the Short Film Corner’s VideoLibrary.
Jake Howell is a Toronto-based writer and film programmer.
