Norwich film festival 2022: something completely different strand + three bonus shorts.

Sensory Itch by Roel van Beek (Something Completely Different strand)

Dam someone is having a bad day.

It’s truly hard to describe experimental shorts. Sarah gets stung by a nettle causing intense scratching to pursue. With the need to itch more and Sarah's day becoming worse, how long can she last before something drastic has to happen? This experiment has a narrative I managed to follow until the final scene somewhat lost me. However, the story I enjoyed as it's not only gory, and intense but also humorous which highlights a good balanced well-written script.

That feeling of uncomfortableness comes from the jarring score mixed with the sound effects that send shivers down my spine and had me feeling quite itchy. The animation is strange but I loved it and how it regularly broke out the scenes and the use of different styles all intertangled within one.

Sometimes experimental films make zero sense (to me) and are crazily outlandish however this one made sense and was uncomfortably enjoyable.

Nome and the Worm by Lydia Rui (Something Completely Different strand)

This was surprisingly really dark.

This was a lot stranger of a story than I was expecting as Nome finds that her only friend is a worm (which she can communicate with.) A script of many layers dealing with loneliness and family troubles. The ending was surprising though for me it did leave many questions unanswered. A story that when reading was going to be a heartwarming but emotional tale however I was thrown (though nicely surprised) by how dark the story became.

The biggest stand-out was the cinematography with the colourful haze of purple and yellow from the sky just making each shot look stunning. There is one shot where I was like this is experimental as we witness the worm's perceptive which just stands out compared to the other shots. A lack of score is effective in drawing you into what seems to be a deserted countryside location and created this uncomfortable feeling throughout. The script as mentioned has many layers however I am mixed about the ending which could be due to it dealing with so much.

This was a pleasant surprise and for people that would love something a little downbeat then I highly recommend.

I gotta look good for the apocalypse Ayce Kartal (Something Completely Different strand)

Now this is what I expected from an experimental film

The covid counter has reached three as this film looks at life under lockdown. By telling its story between paintings coming to life (animation) and video game footage the short highlights how people met others in lockdown. A short film that uncovers many people's experiences from arguing to finding love it shows. To me, it highlighted the streets may be empty however life still continued in a way that is now made possible. Minus the ending song this short doesn't feel outdated like most Covid media forms as this one encapsulates the world that we are living in and what the close future looks like online.

The sound design is clever from the stillness of the streets to the scene of the baby crying and parents arguing there so much. The editing is rapid as the styles change constantly however the structure seemed messy however its executed in a way that feels somewhat easy to understand. There are some speaking parts, but most of the short is told through sound effects and animation which they made this challenging method and smashed it.

Experimental films are not for everyone but this one gets you brain thinking without being to confusing.

A Drifting Up by Jacob Lee (Something Completely Different strand)

Dancing is such a powerful thing.

Just off anti-depressants, Jacob decides to stay off them dancing in the streets of London and Bristol will give him the confidence to keep going. The short is almost like a mix of an experiment (seeing if this keeps him off during and finished the short) and a social experiment (how the public reacts.) There was something captivating and joyful about this and minus one middle finger, it was good seeing the kindness of people. Many elements to take away from this short.

Let's talk about the editing as stated in the bio, Jacob filmed over 100 hours of footage and it clearly shows. Just seeing the editing on this I can't imagine going through the footage to find the right specific shot to clip together. It highlights two things; the more the better when getting footage and that hard work pays off when editing as this worked. The style from the editing and cinematography feels like it's filmed on a phone and imovie but it just adds to the authenticity.

A surprise film which I never knew I would get so much away from and highly recommend checking this one out.

A Goat’s Spell by Gerhard Funk (Something Completely Different strand)

When I read based on a true story, it was at that moment that I knew I had no idea what I watched.

So from reading the bio…I am still uncertain about this all. So a boy starts off his usual routine in a very strange world but then strange events start happening. This is all somehow linked into a singular goat which therefore all connects into a much deeper meaning. That's the best I am going to be able to do if you love completely experimental films then this one will certainly be for you while getting your head scratching.

When it comes to the animation it certainly somehow mesmerised me as although I was lost my brain was loving the colourful world that Gerhard created. The animation seemed to be heavily influenced by video games as I got the feel of a mix between 3rd person (point-and-click graphics) and the first-person story. The whole short is just bonkers and what I realised during one scene is there is a complete lack of sound.

For all the experimental fans this is the one for you by a long short as this is what I was expecting from this strand.

Backflip by NIkita Diakur (Something Completely Different strand)

When you watch a short then question why you somehow got through the whole thing.

A short film that follows Nikita's avatar in trying to learn how to do a backflip. This is the concept which to me symbolises that anything can be a short film as this better than I expected. There were multiple times when I questioned why I was still watching an avatar fall over repeatedly but it could be because maybe I was rooting for it and enjoying the failers.

It is the ugliest looking short that I have seen so far but it's using a computer programme so nothing can change it but there was something that I quite liked. A film that just shows the process of making this from the voice, the showing of the camera equipment and inputs put into the avatar it's not hiding anything. The lengths of filming seemed staggering as we only get a glimpse of how it took for this programme to learn the backflip.

Who needs to learn new skills when we can just let our online avatar do it for us while we sit back.

An Evening With Taglioni by Jessica Wright & Morgann Runacre-Temple (Something Completely Different strand)

This is my type of short film.

This is much better short going into blind as the story is just so surreal that knowing would spoil the surprise. The short is based on a true story of obsessed fans that adore a once-famous ballerina. From the categories mentioned it is a majority of dance but it's just such an interesting story that I instantly searched it up.

Where do I start, the choreography is just wonderous from the large cast piece or the individual pieces or embracing the ribbon. It's mind-boggling how the directors have taken such a bonkers story and made it even crazier. This short had cultish/surrealist feels which both categories are my top categories meaning from the moment they say out I was somewhat invested. This was because due to this being a majority dance piece, I did lose interest in some places until something else happens…this could possibly be a little shorter.

Let me search it up again…yep this is a true story!

Brief bonus 3 shorts.

Gagging For It by Hugo Docking (Mix Tape Vol 1)

This short left me speechless.

This incredibly short film highlights the power of persuasion as a cigarette sex-talks the audience into having one. It is such a clever idea and it is truly something to listen to as he builds up into total persuading mode.

The animation is a little freaky and feels like a crafted cigarette that has come alive which does a job of actually putting you off taking a smoke. Stop-motion animation seems to be popular this year as this is another to add to the high standard this festival is showing. The script is great, the character design is terrifying but smart (just noticed his hands) and whoever voiced it really went for it.

You cant go wrong with these one-minute shorts but this one will certainly leave you speechless.

The Snowman by Diane Catsburrow Linnet (Family Friendly Shorts)

A small little story packaged with gorgeous animation.

It is less than a minute short telling a full-rounded story of a snowman who wants to have a bigger head. A story that not only made your heart warm but got me laughing by the end of it.

The animation style is beautiful as you truly get the hand-drawn feel. I loved how the story was told as the just a lack of sound also. There is not much to discuss with something so short but it works well and really well done.

Its just a well done short that has a great funny story, stunning visuals and certainly one to check out as you definitely have the time for it.

Grump in the Night by Kris Theorin (Family Friendly Shorts.)

Most I have laughed so far.

This is a spooky family short of a ghost that just wants to relax. As the family are sleeping for the night a ghost finally has the opportunity to put his feet up and watch tv leading to the dad becoming angry. This story made me laugh a couple of times as the escalation continued before the wonderful ending.

The 3D animation feels like it's something from a high-budget film and just really looked stunning. The also dramatic score that kicks within the first seconds just pushed this into another level of over-the-top and carried a story which like most of these shorts has no dialogue. You can tell how experienced Kris is as this short shows he can piece everything together (script, animation, score) to create something truly magnificent.

This was such a treat to watch.