Future Shorts

Translation of Adam’s post (RUS)

I went to see Future Shorts at Цезарь (“Caesar”). The program was wonderful (the disk didn’t skip once, hallelujah) and all the films where quite good – some better, some worse, but all good.

They included naively positive films, like one about a grandfather who, in his old age, decides to try everything his parents or common sense prevented him from doing in his youth. Or one about two rag dolls and their love story – charmingly shot, but so naïve: I was expecting a more realistic, unhappy ending. Or an animated film from Malaysia about society seen through the eyes of a person who is usually unnoticed. Or a story about a completely idiotic set of circumstances in the life of an American loser/poser, who pays a high price for his antics.

But the best films in the program were more serious, like a Croatian drama about young people who organize alcohol and drug picnics on the ruins left around former ethnic cleansing sites. What seems at the beginning of the picture to be the senile delirium of an old woman turns out to be her actual memory. I’m sure some Yugoslav Muslims, who are strongly implicated by the film’s symbolism, would have objections, but the message is clear: evil came from all sides.

There was also a cool music video for M.I.A., which takes searching for stereotypical enemies and fighting them in modern society to an absurd extreme. A gang of thugs searches a neighborhood for gingers, takes them to a minefield and forces them to run around it.

The most artistically valuable film was about a holiday celebration in Madagascar. It is a feast for the eyes (the animation combines photography, CGI, 3D and a number of other techniques), ears (great African music) and the heart (the story was actually experienced by the author and is told with soul).

I recommend for everyone to attend the second screening at the Чукотка (“Chukotka”) bar. Unfortunately, you will not be able to see all the incredible nuances of the animation from Madagascr, but I don’t think you’ll be disappointed.