You have loved her songs, her music videos, her ability to engage with audiences, and her passionate love for creating new things. Oh, and a witty sense of humour.
All Too Well has shown that Taylor Swift is a gifted filmmaker.
In 2021, Taylor Swift vowed audiences with her short film All Too Well, blending her music with riveting characters played by actors Sadie Sink and Dylan O’Brien. It showed the world just how capable Swift can be in the director’s chair, capturing the stories her songs try to tell in a packaged, condensed film. For those who haven’t watched the film, you can do so here:
All Too Well in 35mm
Swift attended the Toronto International Film Festival on September 9 for a special In Conversation series with CEO Cameron Bailey. As part of the discussion, Swift also presented audiences with a never-before-seen 35mm version of her short film, which she and her team specifically packaged for the festival. It was how the film was originally made and intended to be shared, and seeing it at TIFF was a treat for audiences. It was a more robust and edgy visual compared to the online-posted short film.
In a theatre setting with cinema quality sound, the film shone even more, especially her music.
All Too Well is a beautiful blend of music and film, and I think speaks directly to Swift and her creative mind at work. Using the lyrics in her song, she provides an elegant pathway for the characters to develop, letting them voice themselves only when pivotal moments in their journey take place. Those moments are captured with riveting performances by Sink and O’Brien. In fact, even when we don’t hear them speak but only hear and understand Swift’s lyrics, they are pretty much living those words.
The tone of the film is heavy, as it features varying degrees of emotion and personal pain. These characters are suffering emotional turmoil as their relationship begins to crumble due to the weight of their own minds. 35mm does elevate the film a lot more, bringing out different tones and colours, amplifying the visual experience. I feel the film is grittier and more fruitful in this format. Swift commented that she wanted to capture the “autumn” look which I definitely see translated by the film.
I hope many people get to see the film in 35mm, as its an experience in itself. However, you can watch the film above in its original format, the way it was released, and still enjoy Swift’s creative mind.
Taylor Swift: The Filmmaker
I do want to take a moment to share my thoughts on Swift as a director. Swift creates really powerful stories within her music. Whether she reflects on her own life as inspiration and basis for the stories she shares, or captures stories told by others, Swift and her writing really resonates with people. Now that she has shown an ability to really bring her words to life through film with the support of other talents, this opens up a world of possibilities.
I think her talk was a great opportunity for audiences to see a different side of Swift, and appreciate just how much of an informed, aware and creative mind the woman is. While diehard fans will always consider her an established genius (which she is), I personally think we have a lot more new creative adventures to see from her yet.
I personally hope that next adventure is a feature film as that be an insightful watch.
Kudo’s to Cameron Bailey who moderated an invigorating conversation the gave Swift an opportunity to really dive into filmmaking and everything movies. While many hoped for conversations directly around her music (and maybe an impromptu performance), the discussion was fruitful and put into perspective just how much passion she has for film. All Too Well was a project of pure love, and that is evident by the end product and how she speaks of it.
Cover Image: Courtesy of TIFF
