Last night I attended the 4th Singapore Short Film Festival at the Substation. Below are the official summaries from the website, along with my commentary.
1) Londres-London / United Kingdom-Singapore / 2007 / 11 min / Eva Tang
In a city that could be anywhere or nowhere, which at any moment could be destroyed, we discover Lisa in the midst of a break-up and the 7th July London bombs attack. This film was confusing and depressing at first, until the director explained how the betrayal in the relationship paralleled the betrayal of the city to its citizens.
2) Kichiro / Singapore / 2006 / 19 min / Kelvin Sng
Kichiro is a 16 year old surrounded by envious schoolmates due to his wealthy family background. His busy parents shower him with material needs to make up for not spending time with him. However, he is an unhappy boy who is obsessed with violence. Watching people cut off their earlobes or slice through their cheeks was not how I wanted to spend a cold, rainy evening. The director later explained how he was exploring the use of violence in film. I certainly noticed that the close-up shots that he showed were far more disturbing than the gratuitous violence that is commonplace in many Hollywood blockbusters. However, he also mentioned some of the fun times that they had making the film and using up so much fake blood.
3) Voor een paar knikkers meer (For a Few Marbles More) / The Netherlands / 2006 / 11 min / Jelmar Hufen
Four ten-year-olds are kicked out of their playground by two aggressive drunkards. When they realize their parents are not going to help them, there;s only one solution. They have to find a way to get the toughest boy in the neighborhood to help them. A former drama student that I spoke with after the film mentioned how much more money that European countries are willing to pay for the arts and it clearly showed with this film. The student now spends his days in the National Service, fixing tanks that aren't broken and have never seen battle.
4) Cyanosis / Iran / 2007 / 30 min / Rokhsareh Ghaem Maghami
In Tehran streets, you can't find any working painter, except Jamshid Aminfar. Trying to promote his life and work conditions, his friends decide to organize an exhibition for his paintings in a gallery. While preparing his works, he falls in love with Alice, a French girl. This was an amazing documentary that made excellent use of animations of the author's paintings to show the world through his eyes. His interactions with the people around him were thought-provoking and the asymmetry in his relationship with the young French woman was quite tragic.
5) My Keys / Singapore / 2007 / 8 min / Ting Szu Kiong
Tim wakes up to prepare for a new day of work with enthusiasm just like any other day. To his dismay, he couldn't find his keys to get out of the house. Desperate, he turns to the altar and pleaded for help from the Goddess of Mercy. His fate lies in her hands. This was supposed to be a comedy, but I didn't think it was funny at all. I was locked out of my room once and it was no laughing matter.
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