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Scoping the SFIFF Shorts by Jerry McDaniel
'The Slows', from local screenwriter Nicole Perlman ('Guardians of the Galaxy', 2014), sees a forested dystopian future. photo N. courtesy Perlman
WHEN I ATTENDED THE SFIFF "SHORTS 2"
program at the Roxie, I largely enjoyed all six films, ranging in length from 10 to 23 minutes, the first four mentioned here presented by Cinema by the Bay films.
Paloma Martinez, out of Palo Alto, brings us the provocative and timely “Enforcement Hours”, a visual road trip meandering around San Francisco to a track of telephone recordings. The calls are to an emergency contact center for people experiencing an ICE raid. The confusion and fear of the callers, even though they are living here, in a sanctuary state, is palpable. Bizarrely, some jack-asses call up just to harrass them.
“Director’s Commentary” is a bit meta-experimental. As it opens we see the two characters, played by director John Herschend and the always funny and beautiful, Beth Lissick (see cineSOURCE article), who has done lots of film work around the Bay, at a bar talking. Simultaneously, we see the people who play the actors and the purported director of this movie in little bubbles discussing and giving commentary of the scene. This works with some funny Segway riding and moments of fourth wall breaking. Toward the end, this cute, little flick devolves into a dance movie, which is what it wanted to be all along.
In “Dunya’s Day” director Raeed Alsemari finds laugh out loud funny at a wedding in Saudi Arabia. photo courtesy R. Alsemari
Local screenwriter Nicole Perlman, who co-wrote "Guardians of the Galaxy" (2014, Marvel Comics/Walt Disney), puts on her director hat for “The Slows”. This narrative is set somewhere in the future when the majority of the human race lives only as adults because the children are aged extremely rapidly by an advanced scientific method. There’s a sterile, sort of revolutionary aspect to the story which brings to mind Ayn Rand’s “Anthem” (1938).
Clandestinely, the lead female character acquires a pass to visit a compound out in the woods. There a group of people are living in a more natural and down-to-earth manner than the clearly messed up and humorless way of thinking inside the city. She seems to be attracted to the animality that the dirty inhabitants of the primitive village embody, even coming to a realization that she eventually has to act on. I’m looking forward to what Perlman will do next.
Cambodia is the setting for producer/director Kalyanee Mam’s study of how Singapore’s dredging of huge amounts of sand from the beautiful island environment is slowly but surely having a devastating effect on the locals’ way of life. This is another testament to the sad fact that humanity is eating itself and all living things without any sense of responsibility. Scenes of the main character visiting the great mounds of relocated sand and a “nature” park in Singapore create a dark and unreal juxtaposition against the family fishing and village life scenes back in Cambodia. Well done.
For a bit of comic relief, “Dunya’s Day” offers us a view into how the well-to-do in modern day Saudi Arabia put together a graduation party. It quickly becomes apparent that Dunya is more concerned with how impressed her rival “friends” are with the party she throws than who she’s throwing it for. A series of mishaps from the mutiny of the help to an unfortunate dead sheep brought me to a point where I kind of liked the incapable hostess. Director Raeed Alsemari made me laugh.
Riders from a Native American relay horse racing team in Canada. 'Fast Horse' by Alexandra Lazarowich. photo courtesy A. Lazarowich
Finally, “Fast Horse” gives us an intimate look at the coach and a young rider from the Native American relay horse racing team from the Siksika Nation in Canada. Alexandra Lazarowich (director) sweetly and matter-of-factly handles the coach’s commitment to the boys on the team as well as protagonist rider’s own commitment to the team. The music video type footage upfront and an Tarantino-like walking shot of the team were entertaining, even if a bit odd. Ultimately, triumph prevails, even in the face of defeat.
All in all, a great series of shorts, and I am looking forward to next year.
Jerry McDaniel is an actor, musician and filmmaker, who starred in the breakout Oakland film ‘Everything Strange and New’ (2009) and can be reached .Posted on Apr 26, 2019 - 10:20 PM