DRAMA SHORT FILMS - 3
Four more shorts from the drama genre, the mainstay of the festival circuit.
Sleepless Night by Arev Manoukian ('09) (Canada) (5m) *
Unusually for FILMSshort, Sleepless Night (Nuit Blanche) by Canadian filmmaker Arev Manoukian is perhaps more about the visuals than the story, but I have admired it for some time and felt it deserved a place on the site. It shows us a fantastic, fleeting moment between a man and a woman, and a visual representation of their inner thoughts. The brilliant visual effects are by Canadain Marc-Andre Gray.
North Atlantic by Bernardo Nascimento (2010) (UK) (15m)
North Atlantic by Bernardo Nascimento is based on a true story. It is paced a little like a feature film, but give it time. North Atlantic tells the story of an isolated air traffic controller who receives a mayday call one night. A lone pilot is lost over the Atlantic with no chance or reaching land and no chance of rescue. This will be his last conversation. It's reminiscent of the opening of the brilliant feature film A Matter Of Life And Death.
Spin by Jamin Winans (2005) (US) (8m) *
Written and directed by Jamin Winans, Spin is one of those drama short films that prove you can be a little bit differnt. Winans employs his love of music (he is also the film's composer) in this simple tale of an angel-like DJ who is sent down to put right an everyday situation that is going wrong and ending in trajedy. With no dialogue and plenty of sly humor, Spin is one of those near-perfect short films.
Cigarettes and Coffee by Cristi Puiu (2004) (Romania) (13m)
One of my personal favourites, Cigarettes and Coffee (Un Cartus de Kent si un Pachet de Cafea) is one of those rare films that is somehow cinematic despite its somewhat pedestrian setting and drama. It is very much about its time and country, with an upwardly mobile son meeting with his elderly father, who was used to Communism. Christi Puiu has since made two features, including the critically acclaimed comedy The Death of Mr Lazarescu.
