Men confronting their emotions amid their mental health struggles. The challenges of trying to fit in when standing out looks like a wiser choice. The power humans can wield to impact the environment. My coverage of this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival (SBIFF) continues with three award-winning short films tackling these very subjects.
As SBIFF drew to a close, three short films stood out in their respective categories: “A Man’s Man” by Myles Desenberg (Documentary Short); “Area Boy” by Iggy London (Live Action Short); and “On the 8th Day” by Agathe Sénéchal, Alicia Massez, Elise Debruyne, Flavie Carin, and Théo Duhautois (Animated Short). With their wins, these three films automatically qualify for the 97th Academy Awards in 2025.
Here are a few thoughts on “A Man’s Man,” “Area Boy,” and “On the 8th Day.”
‘A Man’s Man’ Questions the Essence of Masculinity Head-On
Winner of the Best Documentary Short Film Award, Myles Desenberg’s “A Man’s Man” sees the intersecting lives of seven strangers from the North-East of England. These men meet at a weekly men’s mental health support group, and their stories and discussions shed light on men’s mental health and suicide. With regard to the latter, the film emphasizes how suicide has emerged as the biggest cause of death of men under 50; with the North East having the highest suicide rates throughout the United Kingdom.
Desenberg frames these working-class men and their stories against the backdrop of industrial decline. The result is a rich, overlapping story about being honest with one’s emotions in the face of trauma, violence, loneliness, and isolation. Ultimately, “A Man’s Man” exudes sincerity to break off the stigma surrounding mental health, especially with men who struggle with it.
A Pointed Critique on Toxic Masculinity
The film pointedly asks the question, “What does it mean to be a man in the modern world?” Society has long set an unhealthy standard for men: Suck it up. Hardships are part of life. Don’t be too emotional. Showing vulnerability is a sign of weakness.
Desenberg aims to capture an honest and often-confronting picture of men being direct about their mental and emotional struggles. At a time where there is hope about men being more open about their mental health, “A Man’s Man” is a small-scale documentary that explores the skies these men share; and by forging a community that encourages openness and vulnerability among men, they can attain the healing that awaits them.
And while the film doesn’t break ground in any way, the fact that this can potentially invite others to speak up and share their stories is a start — and a big one at that.
Grade: B
‘Area Boy’ Navigates One’s Identity in the Throes of External Influence
In Iggy London’s “Area Boy,” young teenager Eli (Joshua Cameron) and his mom relocate to a provincial town. This presents a challenge for him to try to belong in his new surroundings. While his mother urges him to forge a community with the local church, Eli on the other hand becomes fascinated with a gang of delinquent boys.
This tug-of-war becomes the focal point of London’s film: a teenage boy torn between two worlds, balancing the scale of fitting in with the right crowd, and finding his true identity even when the right crowd doesn’t actually approve.
An Exercise in Pretending and Hiding
Winner of the Bruce Corwin Award for Best Live-Action Short Film, “Area Boy” examines the brewing conflict within its protagonist, exacerbated by the influence of the church community and troublesome associates. London shows Eli stuck between religion and worldly friends, all the while he struggles with his own identity. These scenes work largely due to Cameron’s performance. Even without saying a lot, his eyes speak volumes. By the time he gets confronted by one of his friends (Malcolm Kamulete) about hiding and pretending all the while professing devotion by praying; Eli finally lets his stoicism give way to tears.
Much can be said about the film’s ending, but at the end of the day, “Area Boy” is a story about self-identity. It introduces interesting themes such as masculinity, fashion, and a sense of belonging within a community. Its uneven pacing, however, gives it a quality of a concept piece and not an established short. Should it have a longer runtime instead? Maybe. After all, Eli’s story is something a lot of teenagers and those at a crossroads can relate to.
Whatever the case; at its most fundamental, the film explores a young man’s search for identity and belonging by looking at places he thought he could find them. But whether the said places could offer him one of the two (or both) is up in the air.
Grade: B-
‘On the 8th Day’ Banks on Playful Animation to Tell an Ominous Story
Winner of the Bruce Corwin Award for Best Animated Short Film, “On the 8th Day” (French: Au 8ème Jour) portrays a world made out of strings, while actual living creatures reside in it. Suddenly, an ominous presence quickly spreads, potentially ending life in that world.
Working off its main idea that while “it took seven days to create the world, it only took one to disrupt its balance”; the film borrows from the creationist notion of the world’s origins. Personally, I find this a very interesting discourse to have. And while scholarly debates still prevail today on whether the ‘seven days’ should be taken literally or otherwise; the film’s point remains true. In the hands of humans, all it takes is a day or a millennium to disrupt the delicate balance of the world.
[Related Review: ‘Invisible Demons’ Incisively Highlights Unchecked Environmental Abuse in the Name of Economic Progress]
A Wordless Call to Arms that Screams Just as Loud
Without any word spoken, the filmmakers manage to communicate the message at the heart of the film through eye-popping visuals. Consequently, “On the 8th Day” conveys its message across, loud and clear. It takes one small misstep, representative of humans’ terrible decision making, to spell a world of difference that could impact the whole world of the living.
Using animation to illustrate a world made out of strings (a wonderful choice, given the deeply rich symbolism of threads and their metaphor for life) and the darkness that threaten to cut each and every fiber, the film — if anything — is a plea for everyone watching and listening to take action now.
Grade: A-
“A Man’s Man,” “Area Boy,” and “On the 8th Day” screened at this year’s Santa Barbara International Film Festival. With their wins in their categories, all three automatically qualified for next year’s Academy Awards. Follow us for more coverage.
