During our coverage of the Fantasia International Film Festival, we’ve had a survey of several feature films. However, features aren’t the only parts that make up the whole of a festival, with short films adding depth and power despite their limited run-time.
For our survey of the short film selections present at Fantasia, we decided to focus on three films: “Jebeer,” “The Lovers,” and “The Last Word.”
‘Jebeer’
The Iranian animated film “Jebeer” is an interesting selection. It involves a Wildlife Ranger attempting to protect wildlife from poachers, but excels due to its scope and story. We’ve seen the attempts of wildlife rangers fighting poaching before; in fact, we covered such a short in the powerful “Plant Heist” at SXSW. But in “Jebeer,” a different tactic is taken. The Ranger must become—physically—the animals he’s trying to protect, putting his own life in danger in the process.
What is mesmerizing about “Jebeer” is that it encourages empathy without uttering a single word. We watch as the protagonist becomes a deer, a bird, a ram, an antelope, and even a black bear and lion. The film really puts you in the point of view of this man as he futilely attempts to pick the right animal to scare off a group of poachers. It’s also a sad film; we learn that wildlife rangers consistently put themselves in harm’s way to protect these animals, despite laws that try to shackle them.
The animation in the film is crisp and clean. Both Director Reyhaneh Mirhashemi and Animator Fargol Ghadami put us directly in the point of view of this ranger. A bearded stubble and sweat adorns his face as he races to and fro, trying to protect his animals from harm. The film is also sad; it shows just how much is at stake here. I never thought a wordless animated film would allow me to feel the soul of a character to this degree. But “Jebeer” does so effortlessly, and is one of the most interesting animated shorts I’ve seen this year.
*Note: “Jebeer” is available to watch for free for audience members at Fantasia.
‘The Lovers’
“The Lovers” is the second film viewed for this survey, and man—what a bizarre film I stumbled into. The Lovers is of course a nod to Tarot cards, and indeed this short includes visuals of such cards. It’s given description about two roommates stuck in a codependent relationship is also a bit of a red herring. This movie is about so much more than that, and in every way earns its genre status as comedy/horror.
The film reminded me of a romance/comedy “Ewww” by filmmaker Alexei Slater I’ve seen before; except whereas that one ends on a gross out angle, this one goes for the jugular—quite literally.
What “The Lovers” has going for it is excellent acting and the way it shifts gears so suddenly from fast to slow and back again that is quite an achievement. Parts of the film feel like a slow-paced indie/drama romance, and while other parts feel like the ‘fatality’ parts of any Mortal Kombat game. More really can’t said without spoilers, which I will not do. Suffice to say this is a film you should see if you’re in the mood to have your head blown; and if that is your cup of tea, “The Lovers” will do nothing to disappoint. Those looking for a straightforward narrative might have trouble with the digestion, however.
*”The Lovers” received its Canadian premiere at Fantasia. It was shown alongside “Botanicum Eroticorum.”
‘The Last Word’
“The Last Word” (“Le Dernier Mot,” original title) wowed me the most of the three shorts, mostly because it’s ending is intriguing and almost expected, yet I didn’t see it coming. The film, in just 4 minutes, takes you on a tour of storytelling that is interesting and sweet, and I imagine any fiction author struggling for that next word will fall in love with this film.
The film starts with an author sitting outside a Parisian café (Owen Little) trying desperately to come up with an interesting storyline for his female protagonist, played by Héloïse Giraud. He tries an abundance of storylines: first she walks across the street, then she runs, then she sits and cries outside a laundromat. Each time he’s unhappy, and each time he erases the words and she disappears and starts again. Authors control their characters’ destiny. But do they ever suspect they might be part of the same destiny? These are the interesting questions that “The Last Word” asks.
I loved this short. It hits all the right notes of imagination, drama, love, romance, and succeeds in making you think along the way. Director and Screenwriter Lucas Warin really hit this one out of the park. Writers should flock to this; but just about everyone else will enjoy the twists and turns, and it’s ending is worth its weight in gold.
*Note: “The Last Word” won ‘Best Short Narrative’ at the Montréal Independent Film Festival and played at Fantasia alongside “Ghosting Gloria.”
