Shorts

During the 2005 French riots, four young students from the banlieu on the outskirts of Paris hear about an old urban legend: that of Paupaul, the rapist of the woods, who would attack young people from poor neighborhoods to keep them away from rich ones. As the All Saints’ Day vacations loom, they set themselves a challenge: to go through the woods to check out the existence of the legend. Why did you choose to set the story during the 2005 riots? It wasn’t so much a choice as a desire (…)

Filmmaker Steven Fraser lives with prosopagnosia, otherwise known as ‘face blindness’, which means he can’t remember or recognize faces. In this film he uses animation to convey what this means to him. How did you get to know prosopagnosia? Several years ago, I was going through the diagnosis process for autism. At this time, I was speaking to different doctors and specialists who asked my many questions on how I interact with people. During this time, they realised it was a possibility (…)

Shana is looking for a job, she needs cash to leave France and her wrong crowd. But the past she’s looking to forget is never far. Besides, does she really want to put it behind her? What gave you the urge to tell Shana’s story? Are some of the characters drawn from examples or experiences you have had in real life? I’ve wanted to tell Shana’s story since meeting the actress who plays her, Eva Huaut. I’ve known her since childhood and I’d lost touch with her for 7 years. When we met (…)

In Natal, on the Brazilian coast, the country is preparing to launch its first manned space rocket into space. A couple lives with children near the space center, she is a cleaner and he is a mechanic, but she dreams of other horizons. Have you ever dreamt of flying or going into space? I’ve personally never wanted to go to space. Perhaps I’m a bit curious. What attracts me to space is its immensity and infiniteness. In Sidéral, space appears as the real possibility of a spatio-temporal (…)

After a bus accident in the middle of nowhere, Lupa decides to tag along with another passenger, Alban, who is determined to reach the nearest village on foot. Crossing through fields and rivers, they slowly go off-course in a strange forest. Where did you get the idea for this rather supernatural adventure? This project has been in development for a very long time. It arose from life experience and my feminist and ecological convictions. A few years ago, I found myself stuck in a train (…)

Khadiga, a young mother of 18 lives alone with her baby after her husband left for work in a remote city; in an ordinary day she makes her way through the hustle of Cairo streets to do some visits where she feels uncomfortable with the surroundings. Is Khadiga based on someone you know? What motivated you to tell her story? Khadiga is a character we all know, and she exists in all societies in different forms and ways. What prompted me to tell this story is that it is a story that I’d (…)

With dozens of translations of Sappho’s words recorded by queer women from all over the world, we celebrate the fragment’s poignant reflection on memory and legacy. With animation reflecting the evolution of art movements, we pay tribute to queer woman through the ages—though we may never know their names, we celebrate their lives. The Sappho Project won the Audience Award at the latest edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night. We caught up with director Sari Katharyn. Who is Sappho? What was (…)

A short documentary following a young couple as they prepare to make their first action film in El Alto, Bolivia. Films Of Fury won the Critics’ Choice Prize at the latest edition of Emerging Filmmakers Night. We chatted to Mila about her work. Well done for your win for Films Of Fury. What an original, offbeat and truly moving short film. Could you tell us more about its inception? How did you meet our protagonists? Why Bolivia? I am half Bolivian, so I spend a lot of time in the (…)

Investigative journalism website Declassified UK) is back with this short doc. At only 26 minutes, it lays bare Britain’s complicity in the atrocities committed in Yemen, while the people on the ground in Warton are kept in the dark. Presenter Matt Kennard elicits a range of reactions. Some residents are just happy with the job creation that comes with the industry but others express sad and shock and remark that money is better spent dealing with the current misery and poverty plaguing the (…)

Every now and then we highlight a quality short that’s caught our attention. This one’s available to view online and is reviewed by writer Nia Jones. Floppy Toast with Drippy Butter A short film by Lone Pine Pictures Written by Simon Jefferson and Paul Stainthorpe A troubled, bullied teen, Chloe (Ellie Bindman) is struggling to cope with the situation at her new school. Finding her way in desperation to a bridge, she encounters a mysterious stranger who could offer her some hope, the (…)