FRENCH SHORT FILMS - 1
Louis' Shoes by Marion Philippe et al (2020) (France) (5m)
Louis is an autistic kid who has arrived at a new school after classmates at his previous establishment used his devotion to his shoes against him. Forced to introduce himself, he seems destined for a life on the sidelines. It is a little reminiscent of the very fine 2008 French animation Skhizein but a bit more on the nose (the monologue even uses the word "autistic" in case you did not get it).
Emilie Muller by Yvon Marciano (1994) (France) (20m)
I was put onto Emilie Muller by Acim Vasic, the director of '8' (winner of the 4th competition) and it quickly became one of my favourites. It is a confident and rewarding film: you know some kind of twist is coming but you just don't know what. Emilie is auditioning for a part in a film because her friend has pulled out of the audition. The director asks her to talk about what is inside her handbag. Marciano passed away in 2011 but this will live on for many years!
Skhizein by Jérémy Clapin (2007) (France) (13m)
Having been struck by a 150-ton meteorite (and not an asteroid), Henry has to adapt to living precisely ninety-one centimeters away from himself. Even after watching this fantastic computer animation the premise remains hard to get your head around. But then I used to think dogs were small horses. Skhizein won Frenchman Jeremy Clapin the Kodak Short Film award at Cannes in 2008 and he is now working as an animator in France - mainly in advertising.
I'll Wait For The Next One by P. Orreindy (2002) (France) (4m)
Co-written by Thomas Gaudin and its director, Philippe Orreindy, I'll Wait For The Next One (J'attendrai le Suivant) was nominated for the 2003 Oscar for Best Short. I'll Wait For The Next One is a bitter-sweet tale of a lonely woman being offered the chance of true love on the Paris metro. I actually find it hard to watch it's so sorrowful! Orreindy has been making films for a while and has apparently been working on a feature, The Ummo Mystery.
