Not only does the imagineNATIVE festival feature local artists, but it also allows filmmakers from around the globe the chance to demonstrate their abilities. The “Fantastic Four Directions: International Shorts” program features short films that reveal many different cultures but all centre around a common humanity. Hailing from Australia, Mexico, New Zealand, Norway, and the United States, these are the international directors to watch.
HuyHuy (Trade)
Director: Sky Hopinka
Country: USA
Runtime: 5 minutes
Rating: 14A
A fast-paced, bleak drama with an unexpected twist is the perfect descriptor for HuyHuy. Although there is a certain feeling of hesitation and inexperience in the film, it nonetheless succeeds in being compelling and interesting, despite its brief runtime. This short tells the story of a trade between two men over an item that heightens the pressure and their anger towards each other, resulting in an interesting film with a good and concise storyline. HuyHuy is fresh and stylized, getting straight to the point. In its short time, however, it manages to successfully engage the viewer in the story, while keeping the gloomy ambiance believable. The performances by both actors are not outstanding, but they do not lack passion, and they serve the film’s purpose. An amateur filmmaker with a background in sound production, Sky Hopinka shows great promise in his work, and it would be very interesting to see a more lengthy film from this director.
Overall Rating: 3.7/5
The Hunter
Director: Margaret Harvey
Country: Australia
Runtime: 11 min
Rating: 14A
The Hunter is a beautifully filmed tale of two indigenous youths trapped in a forest with a creature they cannot see or understand. Filmed with no dialogue whatsoever, the short firmly relies on sounds and movements to tell its story, and it does so successfully. Cinematographically, the camerawork and colours really bring the forest to life, and it becomes its own significant character. Both actors, Djuaan Cockatoo and Rarriwuy Hick, provide simple yet effective performances that keep the spectator entertained and interested in the events taking place. They have great chemistry, and even if their relationship is unclear, the time they spend together on screen is believable and captivating. Although the plot is hard to follow, and it is not easy to understand what is going on at all times, the short remains entertaining and beautiful, and a great example of the interesting outcomes the adaptation of film from poetry can produce. Overall, The Hunter is a wonderful piece of short film, and shines not only because of its narrative qualities, but especially for its aesthetic ones.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Dolaiguin Stoahkame (Playing With Fire)
Director: Anne Merete Gaup
Country: Norway
Runtime: 15 min
Rating: 14A
Playing With Fire is a tragically truthful short film about abuse and what it is to be a victim and a bystander. The piece tells the story of Risten (Ingir Nango Bal), a woman who finds herself invited to an awkward dinner by the sleazy Bedar (Isak Nils Mathis Oskal). Once in the home, she meets Inga (Suvi Maaret West) and Nils (Lasse Kvernmo), a soon-to-be-married couple who seem perfectly happy on the outside. It doesn’t take long, however, for Risten to realize that there is nothing appropriate about the way Inga is treated. She must soon make a decision between helping a woman in need or following her own plans. The actors all deliver powerful performances that feel extremely real to the viewer, and although it is clear that they are inexperienced, they successfully drive the events of the film. Although the work is only filmed in one setting, it manages to tell a lengthy and complex storyline in little time. Altogether, this film is a successful project by Anne Merete Gaup.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
Milk & Honey
Director: Maria Alofacia McCartney
Country: New Zealand
Runtime: 14 min
Rating: 14A
This thesis project by Maria Alofacia McCartney offers a harsh outlook in regards to the ruthlessness and nonsensicality of the justice system. A brutally realistic portrayal of immigration, Milk & Honey is the story of a pregnant immigrant whose dreams all lie in the hope that having come to New Zealand gives her. However, she soon realizes the harsh reality of the situation when she is imprisoned upon failing to show her passport to officials. Once in jail, she tries to make sense of her situation by talking to her guard, also a Samoan immigrant, who has to struggle with his duty and his own principles. Nora Aati as the imprisoned woman and Robbie Magasiva as her guard both shine in their performances, one full of grit and anger, the other full of visible doubt and uneasiness. Visually the film is also consistent, providing solid and crisp visuals that perfectly capture the serious nature of the short. Milk & Honey shows a great calibre of filmmaking for being a thesis project, and it surely shows that Maria Alofacia McCartney is a filmmaker to look out for.
Overall Rating: 4.5/5
