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Cinema Elvire Popesco -
Wednesday, March 29, 2017 - 21:00
Cinema Muzeul Țăranului -
Friday, March 31, 2017 - 21:00
Cinematography:
Richard Mott
Editing:
Amanda James
Sound:
Lennert Busch
Music:
Lennert Busch
Producer:
Jeremy Bannister, Jörn Threlfall
Production:
Lenaray Films LTD
Engaging its audience in a game of attention and patience, Over adopts a simple, yet impactful formula to gaze at the stories of those seeking in Europe a promised land of salvation. Nominated for the BAFTA Awards, the European Film Awards and inspired by a true story, the short film uses wide, fixed frames alternating with hand-held close-ups to actively involve the viewers in deciphering and reconstructing a mysterious death told in reverse. But understanding the thread of events doesn’t confer any of the comfort of a solved puzzle. Instead, the shocking, almost surreal ending leaves us with the question, “how could this have happened”, too stunned to dare give an answer. (Diana Mereoiu, BIEFF 2017)
Director:
Website:
Contact:
info[at]jornthrelfall[dot]com
Festivals, awards:
- European Film Awards Nominee 2015
- BAFTA Awards Nominee 2016
- Grand Jury Award - Palm Springs International Short Film Festival 2015
- Sundance Film Festival 2016
- Tampere Film Festival 2016
- Telluride Film Festival 2016
- Grand Prix - Uppsala International Short Film Festival 2015
- Silver Award - Chicago International Film Festival 2015
- DokuFest Kosovo 2016
Curatorial comment:
Economical and precise in form, Over subtly manages to actively involve the audience into different but equally engaging types of viewer experience. As it always seems to be the case, the mild serenity of London’s suburbs proves deceiving, leaving it up to the audience to discover in which exact way. Static, wide frames offer a myriad of possibilities of what to concentrate one’s attention on and in the first few minutes this guessing game makes one’s eye dart from corner to corner in search of clues. The physical distance triggers a heightening of concentration and also implies an emotional distance (which however is short-lived). As the task is not only to understand what happened, but also whom it happened to, the director seamlessly incorporates an understated emotional involvement through his hand-held close-ups. But the bits of what we believe to know are challenged in the swift moment of the film’s surrealist climax. Instead of the satisfying feeling of an investigation well done, the audience is left with a baffling lack of comprehension, being faced with the inevitable knowledge of the fact that suburban serenity will shortly cover up the tragedy just witnessed. (Diana Mereoiu, BIEFF 2017)
Economical and precise in form, Over subtly manages to actively involve the audience into different but equally engaging types of viewer experience. As it always seems to be the case, the mild serenity of London’s suburbs proves deceiving, leaving it up to the audience to discover in which exact way. Static, wide frames offer a myriad of possibilities of what to concentrate one’s attention on and in the first few minutes this guessing game makes one’s eye dart from corner to corner in search of clues. The physical distance triggers a heightening of concentration and also implies an emotional distance (which however is short-lived). As the task is not only to understand what happened, but also whom it happened to, the director seamlessly incorporates an understated emotional involvement through his hand-held close-ups. But the bits of what we believe to know are challenged in the swift moment of the film’s surrealist climax. Instead of the satisfying feeling of an investigation well done, the audience is left with a baffling lack of comprehension, being faced with the inevitable knowledge of the fact that suburban serenity will shortly cover up the tragedy just witnessed. (Diana Mereoiu, BIEFF 2017)