Under Water tells the story of a young man who comes from a seemingly dysfunctional family and has managed to get into drugs and alcohol from a young age. This is a story that showcases how drugs and alcohol have not only affected him, but those around him as well. We see a character who has significantly withdrawn from others around him. In one scene, he is alone at a party and a moment later passes out and nobody appears to be there to help him out; except for two guys who kick him and beat him while he is laying on the ground passed out. By the end of the film, it is clear how much of a toll the drugs and alcohol has taken on him. Under Water is a short but powerful film that deserves to be seen.
TV In The Fish Tail is about two boys who live in a remote village in the Himalayas in northern India. The opening scene shows them watching what looks like a WWE fight on television, with one of them exclaiming that it's fake and choreographed for entertainment. That appears to be one of the only working televisions in the village as it has little power. But a new power station is being built in a region nearby called the Fish Tail and will one day bring electricity to the village. The two boys like to explore outside the village and one of the places they like to go is to the power station, even though they are not allowed to go there because it is dangerous and there are "no entry" signs. But at some point, tragedy strikes, and one of the boys is changed forever. Filmmaker Iesh Thapar tells this story of adventure, curiosity, and innocence lost in a powerful coming of age film. Through this story, the viewer is shown what life is like in an unfamiliar culture to many, as well as what it is like to grow up in such a place. Along with some truly breathtaking scenery, TV In The Fish Tail is a story that is both visually and emotionally powerful.
Kid Gambled is a visual thriller about an innocent young man who looks to be about high school aged. He hangs out with some friends in a car outside a convenience store one night where they are actively taking part in drugs and drinking. They give the main character a challenge; to go into the store and steal a case of beer without getting caught. Reluctantly, the main character goes into the gas station. He wanders around the store, noticing just about everything in there, including the slot machines as this appears to take place in a state where gambling is legal everywhere. Our main character appears to be tripping like crazy making this film a visual thriller. It also is very suspenseful to the viewer, making us wonder if he will ever just steal the beer and get it over with. Kid Gambled is a high intensity thriller that's sure to make audiences have some fun.
Mackenzie is about a girl, Allison, who is about to leave to go to college. The film takes place on her last day at home and her sister, Mackenzie, wants nothing to do with her. Allison looks through her room and begins to pack and finds old pictures of her and Mackenzie, flooding her with memories of when they were younger. Allison keeps asking Mackenzie to hang out with her, but refuses to. From the way this relationship is depicted on screen, it appears that their relationship as sisters has been strained like this for some time although it is not clear what caused this rift. Mackenzie helps Allison load the car for a little bit but then goes back to her room to do her own thing, claiming that she is too busy that day to help Allison. Allison however, keeps reminding her that she's leaving that day and won't be back for a very long time. And yet, Mackenzie seems not to care. This is a film that dwells on one particular detail, the sisters' strained relationship. The audience never gets a clear understanding of what's really going on with Mackenzie and it's not clear that Allison wants to or is in a position to be able to help her. Allison never simply asks what is going on with her, leaving the audience to feel dragged along in this story.
A Boy Named Su is a short and very sweet film about a young boy who looks to be kindergarten aged and is brand new to a school in a country different from the one he appears to be from. He can't speak any English. Su is often by himself on the playground with a red plastic ball with spikes all over it. One girl tries to befriend him while other boys taunt him and make fun of him for not being able to speak English. Most of the other kids don't understand why he can't speak English either. The red ball is Su's transitional object. He seems to go everywhere with it and takes great comfort in having it. This is a film that doesn't focus much on the overall story as it does the details. It takes place entirely on the play yard and shows audiences the struggles he has with getting acclimated to his new school and the kids around him. A Boy Named Su is sure to tug at the hearts of audiences.
A Date In 2025 is the kind of film that might remind you a little bit of the Spike Jonze movie Her. But instead of the main character falling in love with artificial intelligence, the artificial intelligence unite (also known as the counselor in this film) helps the main character work up the courage to ask a girl he likes out on a date. This film takes place in a world where human interaction appears to be a rarity. Our main character goes to school remotely, from the comfort of his apartment. The girl he likes is in his class. He can privately message her to ask her out, but doing so is hard for him. He hasn't left his apartment in weeks because everything he needs is right there and there's really no reason to leave. Fortunately, his "counselor", the artificial intelligence in his apartment, is there to cheer him on. How so? By constantly reminding him that his potential for suicide is increasing by the second unless he asks this girl out on a date. This film is a comedy, but it also sheds light on the potential for where we are headed as a society. As we increase our dependence on technology like our smart phones, human interaction becomes increasingly less common and more difficult. A Date In 2025 is a witty commentary on society that is sure to leave an impression on audiences.
Five Minutes With Mary is a quick but thrilling film. A young man is walking through the desert all alone when he receives a phone call from a young woman in serious distress. She is breathing heavily and is barely able to speak she is so scared of the events unfolding in front of her. As the main character in front of us becomes more and more concerned and asks her what is happening around her, we hear her begin to fear for her life. She is afraid someone is going to kill her. We later find out that she was in a Paris night club the night terrorists stormed in and killed many people in that attack back in 2015. This is a film that showcases panic and distress like no other. It is short, to the point, and tells us exactly what happened. This puts a more human perspective on the attack that occurred in Paris that night. When horrific events like this happen, the news often tells us about the victims who called their loved ones before their untimely deaths, but rarely do we hear about the people who are on the receiving ends of these calls. This film shows that side of these events in a fast paced, intense fashion.
This Always Happens shows us a window into modern day hook up culture. The film starts and two people are intensely making out looking like they can't find a room fast enough. Occasionally, words are spoken, but they are too busy kissing; until one person says something that changes the mood. The guy says something the woman doesn't like. She appears to have a strong interest in astrology and he thinks it's stupid. Instead of her just walking away, they talk it out for a few minutes. And then she walks away. He runs after her to try to make up, even so much as gets into her cab with her to try to win her over again. He at one point tells her that this always happens to him (hence the title); that he always says something wrong. Much of the scene in which he is in the cab with her, against her wishes, is him admitting to her that he was being kind of a dick, but also, admitting to himself that he's saying the wrong thing. This is a short film that definitely can hit a little close to home to some of us, but is well worth watching.
Lastly, Tripolar is a short film that opens on a couple just finishing up having passionate sex and telling each other how much they love each other, but in a comedic way (exaggerating what they want to do to each other because they love each other so much). All this changes when the woman tells the man that she has a psychological disorder called tripolar disorder. Similar to bipolar, this disorder causes her to have mood swings and other things associated with bipolar, but exaggerated to be "tripolar." As soon as she says this, the man becomes enraged, calling her crazy, and losing his cool (basically having a major mood swing as if he were the one with the disorder). She manages to keep her cool throughout all of this and tells him constantly that she's not "crazy", but just is tripolar. This is an interesting film because one character actually has the disorder, and the other acts as the way it would manifest itself. It's actually quite comedic in the banter and the way the scene is acted out. This was a hilarious film that actually had quite a serious message about respecting one's psychological illness and seeing it as a part of their character, rather than a character flaw. Tripolar is a fun satire that is sure to have audiences laughing long after they leave the theater.
Overall, HollyShorts 2017 was awesome! It seems to me that many of these shorts had a higher production value than some of the shorts in other festivals that I've been to in recent months. These are all films that show great commitment by the filmmakers to their craft. You can see the passion come through on many of these films. This is a film festival I hope to go to more in years to come.
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