Sunday night's OFFScreen movie provided a change of pace for the series. The World According to Shorts is an enjoyable and varied collection of short films taken from around the globe over the past few years.
The opening film is the comedy La Perra (The Bitch) from Chilean director Hugo Maza. The quick piece tells of a bored, middle-aged couple that fantasizes about the thievery of their new maid in order to satisfy their bizarre and hilariously vulgar fetish for drama. The film's playful tone and perfect pace effectively introduce the audience to the medium of the short film.
The second feature, United We Stand, is a comedic allegory from Norway depicting a marching, singing troupe of old men who can't seem to stay alive -- and don't really seem to mind. The film's political message about Norway's Labour Party is hidden behind its lighthearted yet dark humor.
The pace of the series is sadly destroyed by the atrocious third installment, We Have Decided Not to Die, from Australian director Daniel Askill. This poor attempt at experimentation is divided into three parts: "Birth," "Between" and "Rebirth." The director seems to have mistaken extremely slow-motion action and pretension for aesthetic value. Here's how it goes: A woman floats out of a pool. A man jumps over two colliding cars. A boy jumps through the window of a skyscraper. It takes 11 painstaking minutes.
Adam Guzinski's Antichrist then enters to save the series. Hailing from Poland, the short lies snuggly somewhere between "The Lord of the Flies" and Gummo, taking on an arcane plot that is both disturbing and humorous. Four boys occupy themselves in a barren landscape near a coal mine. The leader of the group claims to be the Antichrist and convinces his buddies to participate in a number of devious rituals. The piece is beautifully shot, truly accenting the film's tone by concentrating on the bleak colors and harsh scenery. Though the intent of Antichrist may pass audiences by, it is a thoroughly intriguing and alien piece.
Following this is The Old Woman's Step. This Brazilian short is a subtle and enchanting snapshot of the life of an elderly woman living in the poor country. The story is simple: the woman walks to the market in the hopes of selling a chicken for the money to buy her grandson a birthday present. The magic of the film lies in the characters' interactions, which illustrate the intimacy of the community.
The final piece, the German Ring of Fire, is anything but subtle. The amazing animation of the film is extremely stylistic and provocative, serving as a booming contrast to The Old Woman's Step. The plot concerns two cowboys and their journey through a hallucination of lust and lost innocence. The story is not what's important here, though; rather, the perverse sexuality of the artwork and the flawless sound effects are what captivate the viewer. The animation is done in harsh black and white, but still manages to jump off the screen. Again, this film has an impenetrable plot, but it is fun to watch and is a great way to end the series.
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