I was lucky enough to attend Encounters which is a short film and animation festival based in Bristol at the Watershed. It is an internationally acclaimed festival but very accessible for the general public, running over four hundred short films over three days.
Short Film 1 - Turning Points
These films were all concerned with children on the cusp of adulthood making decisions at the cornerstones of their lives. I really enjoyed these thoughtful and well set out films. One notable film was 'Tisina Mujo' meaning 'Quiet Mujo' by the Portugese director Ursula Meier. When a young boy, Mujo, kicks his team's football into a graveyard during a match, he finds something else. He meets a woman who we grow to learn is visiting his dead brother and sister-in-law. They grow acquainted and we learn that Mujo has also been grieved with death at the loss of his mother. A comical moment was when she chided him for smoking a cigarette and confiscated it not before taking a drag herself and passing it between them. This was juxtaposed by their poignant goodbye hug: he a brother figure to her and her a mother figure to him.
Another film I really enjoyed was 'Blood Below the Skin' by Jennifer Reader. t follows the lives of three girls over the course of a week who are all in different social circles but all know each other. One of them is nursing her depressed mother after the disappearance of her father and the other two are falling in love, all while discovering truths about society, boys and growing up. I liked that it was set in an American high school but they all wore identical school uniforms making it a pseudo-brutish private school. I think this was to highlight their age and apparent innocence in contrast to their behaviour outside of school. I liked the witty dialogue and the way you could hear the girls' thoughts making it very honest and at times painful but still funny. It was at times pretty bizarre, managing to incorporate punk music and classical choir music into but it worked because it reflected the girls' developing taste in music. I thought this was a punchy and powerful rendition of teenage girlhood.
Animation 5 - Rise and Fall
Having never really had any experience in animation I found this experience really interesting and eye-opening. I particularly enjoyed 'The Master' by Riho Unt: this animation followed the story of two pets after being neglected in their home by their master. I loved the music, it seemed to be set in an old-fashioned European apartment and the music reflected this along with the changeable emotions of the animals. I thought the modelling of the animals and the setting was intricate and really set the scene. Afterwards on researching I realised that Unt is an interior designer by trade which might explain this. I also liked the conveyance of the animals' expressions; for example in the picture you can see the whites of his eyes showing the direction of his gaze and surprise. I think this was my favourite film of the festival as I thought it was a poignant remark about shifts in power and what isolation can drive you to.
All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed my time at the festival. I learnt a lot about what works well in short films in terms of plot and dialogue and - especially in regards to animation - how creative people can be with materials. I will be sure to visit next year!
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