Shorts Of Distinction #2 - 'Wind' (Dir:Robert Loebel, Germany, 2013)

As I sit in a severely wind-swept, rocky outcrop on the edge of Europe - this beautifully animated short from Germany seems remarkably apposite. A simple tale, ingeniously told, I love the animation style of this - refreshingly angular and monotone!


WIND from robert loebel on Vimeo.

Shorts of Distinction #1 - 'Old Mate' (Dir:Sam Dixon, AU)

One of the things I have done for enjoyment since 2012, is view short films for the local film fest, pick out the ones that I think are of a high quality, and pass these on to the festival's Head of Shorts for review. Since the number of submissions is vast, many excellent shorts are not selected, which is a bit of a shame, but I have kept a record of some of the ones that impressed me the most and I will share these on an occasional basis.

First up is 'Old Mate', an Australian short from 2013 that deals with peer pressure in a rural setting. It has a dark, foreboding atmosphere and is vaguely reminiscent of that brilliantly surreal work 'Wake in Fright', as well as the films of John Hillcoat. The soundtrack and sound design sit with the film perfectly and the ending is unexpected but highly effective.


Old Mate from Bahloo Pictures on Vimeo.
Enjoy!

Stephen Grosz - The Examined Life

Stephen Grosz - 'The Examined Life' (2013)

Just finished reading this great collection of psychoanalytical case histories; a veritable Pandora's Box, full of strange conditions and foibles and a book I will frequently revisit over the next few years, I suspect.

Here is a fine review of the piece in The Guardian a few years back.