SHORT WAR FILMS - 2
War shorts cover a broad range. But whether based upon real or fictional conflict they should say something about man's inability to live peacefully.
Offside by Eraz Tadmor & Guy Nattiv (2006) (Israel) (7m) *
A great short film from Israeli filmmakers Eraz Tadmor and Guy Nattiv. Set on the border between Israel and the Palestinian territory, two Israeli soldiers are patrolling the fence while listening to the World Cup Final on a portable radio. They then come across two Palestians armed with machine guns and a tense stand-off is turned into black comedy as the both sides pause listen to the football...
The Silent City by Ruairi Robinson ('06) (Ireland/UK) (7m)
A mesh of live-action and digital animation, The Silent City by Ruairi Robinson is high on effects if a little slim in story. Three soldiers are walking through an eerily quiet, dystopian world where someone or something is lurking, waiting to take them out. When two are struck by a landmine, it is up to the third to call for help. But who will answer their call when everyone else is apparently dead?
Heaven's Secret by Ed Wiles (2011) (UK) (7m)
In Heaven's Secret, a young inhabitant of Heaven narrates the story of his kidnap and murder in the South American jungle and the secret of ascendance. It was inspired by the murder of a Mark Lindgren, from St Albans, England, who was killed in the Ugandan jungle. It was shot in two days at two tropical gardens in Cornwall, which make a convincing backdrop. It premiered at the Cambridge Film Festival.
The Jockstrap Raiders by Mark Nelson (2011) (USA) (19m)
The Jockstrap Raiders won a Student Academy Award although its director, Mark Nelson of UCLA, had been working in the visual effects industry for the previous decade. It is a nicely made computer animation set during World War I. A group of misfits from a Leeds rugby club are excluded from duty due to various abnormalities. However, when they learn of Germany's plan to build a bridge across the channel, they take it upon themselves to stop him.
