TIFF Short Cuts Highlights: Programs 3 and 4

Next in our coverage of TIFF we are highlighting our favourites in Short Cuts Programs 3 and 4. Short Cuts 3 was a program of some very highly acclaimed shorts and debuts. Recent Venice winner Who Loves The Sun wowed in its cinematography and Dakota Johnson's directorial debut Loser Baby premiered. But the two that came out on top for us were The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent and Inkwo For When The Starving Return. Shorts Program 4 contained eventual Best Canadian Short prize winner Are You Scared To Be Yourself Because You Think That You Might Fail? but we had an absolute blast watching Wrecked A Bunch of Cars, Had A Good Time. Check our the highlights from the program below!

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent, dir. Nebojša Slijepčević

Directed and written by Nebojša Slijepčević, The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent has been having a great festival season, winning two prestigious Oscar qualifying awards: the Palm d’Or for Best Short Film at Cannes and the City of Melbourne Grand Prix at MIFF. Heading into Oscars season the next few months it remains an early favourite and rightfully so. 

Taking place solely on a train, this 13 minute historical drama recalls the events of the 1993 Strpci massacre where 24 Bozniak Muslims were removed from a train by a Serbian paramilitary group, eventually to be tortured and killed. This short takes a small snapshot of this story and the man who dared to stand up against these forces. 

What I love most about this short is the perspective of which the story is told. Anchored by a believable screenplay of how these events would have occurred, you follow a passenger named Dragan. It is easy to assume at first that this protagonist is the titular man who could not remain silent. But as we go on, we see he is not the hero of the story, nor is he the victim or aggressor. He is an everyday citizen on the train who, although well intentioned, is an observer of the situation. This very much allows the audience to identify with the character, as we are helpless but to observe the unjust events unfold. 

The camerawork by Gregor Bozic is impressive as it navigates tight train hallways and confined seating compartments. Natural lighting is carefully used right from the beginning of the short from the flashes of light on Dragan’s face, to the train hallways flooded with light from the windows, to the drawing back of curtains in the compartment creating a dimming effect, as a passenger named Milan tells Dragan he has no ID papers. 

The Man Who Could Not Remain Silent is a powerful portrait of a true hero. Tomo Buzov was the only non-Bozniak passenger taken on the train that day and was on his way to visit his son Darko in Montenegro. As a retired officer of the Yugoslav People’s Army he tried to use his privilege to stand up against what he knew was wrong. This short does justice to his memory as a courageous hero who stood up against xenophobia, an act that would devastatingly cost him his life, gone too soon from this world at the still young age of 53. 

In the final moments of this short the camera focuses on Dragan, full of contemplation as the train pulls away. You can see on his face that he is taking in the situation that just happened. Should I have said more? Should I have done more? Questions that I am sure were swirling around in his mind. It’s a moment that allows the audience to relate and be alongside Dragan as we ask ourselves what would have we done in this situation?

Review by Brandon MacMurray

Inkwo for When the Starving Return, dir. Amanda Strong

In the Northwest Territories, two lifetimes from now, unravels the saga of a young, enigmatic, genderfluid warrior named Dove. In a world of blowing snow and frosty ice Dove is faced with external threats and internal struggles and must forge their identity while embracing the power of Inkwo. Based on the original short story Wheetago War by award-winning Tlicho Dene storyteller Richard Van Camp, Inkwo for When the Starving Return is the story of one warrior taking a stand to defend the remaining humans and animals on Earth.

Michif/Metis director Amanda Strong uses a clever dual timeline to link the story of the Earth’s past to its future. In her visionary world, creatures that are buried in the earth were once human, but changed because they craved human flesh. The ancestors tried to keep them buried, but when people forgot their connection to the land they forgot themelves as well. When they dug up the land they dug the creatures up and they came back—these are the starving, the malevolent force that Dove must face. Dove’s courage, resilience and alliance with the Earth culminates in a battle against these flesh-consuming creatures, who become stronger with each body and soul they devour.

The gift of Inkwo, the power and resistance rooted in medicinal knowledge and the healing arts of true humanity, propels Dove on a perilous path. They must combat violent beings that possess the ability to take spirits from humans and leave sinister revenants in their wake. Throughout their quest, Dove forms a bond with a frog helper and forges alliances that transcend the boundaries between human and animal; this unlikely fellowship unites against the encroaching horde of starving. The film features the extraordinary voice talent of Paulina Alexis as Dove, storyteller Art Napoleon as the frog who helps Dove on their journey, and the legendary Tantoo Cardinal as Dove’s wise and nurturing Auntie.

Beyond the powerful storytelling, Inkwo for When the Starving Return looks absolutely tremendous. The sensory world of Inkwo, created by production designer Maya McKibbin, is startlingly detailed, full of fur, hair, fire, textiles, ice, water—all textures that are notoriously difficult to animate, pulled off with such panache that it’s possible to forget it is an animated fantasy world. The epic final confrontation between Dove and the starving delivers vibrantly animated thrills that blur the boundaries between the physical and the supernatural.

The incredibly detailed puppets created by Patrick Zung look simultaneously lifelike and incredibly stylized, with each hair laid just-so and every feature, from fur collars to face paint rendered in exacting detail. But it is in the design and execution of the starving that Inkwo becomes the best, most frightening version of itself—with their grotesque red faces and jagged teeth, gaping eye holes and long blonde hair, swollen horns and protruding ribs, the starving are some of the most intricately and beautiful designed monsters in any recent animated film. A mesmerizing tale of courage, identity and the enduring power of truth, Inkwo for When the Starving Return feels a call to action, a rallying cry to all of us to fight and protect against evil forces of greed around us and restore the balance of our planet.

Review by: Joshua Hunt

Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time, dirs. James P. Gannon, Matt Ferrin

If you live in a small Ontario town like I do, you know one of the highlights of the year is the Fall Fair. The Fall Fairs in this area typically have two main events that they center around: the Tractor Pull and (most importantly) the Demolition Derby. It’s a whole culture that you have to see to believe: bleachers flood with people around the derby arena, smoke fills the air, and engine noises can be heard no matter where you are in town. 

Participating in a demolition derby is not for the faint of heart. Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time follows four contestants as they partake in a local demo derby. It starts off with a contestant listing all the injuries he’s accumulated in just a few years in the sport. The experience is worth it for these contestants, though. They do it for themselves, the fun, and for the community. As one contestant so accurately puts it, “People love twisted metal.”

Wrecked a Bunch of Cars, Had a Good Time weaves footage of the demolition derby and interviews with contestants adroitly. Gorgeously shot on film, it fully captures the buildup to the event and the excitement in the air. The short also does a great job of highlighting the fact that the demolition derby is much more than the event itself. There are countless hours put into stripping anything flammable out of cars, adding in protections and meticulously prepping each vehicle to give it the best chance to succeed. Each car is also uniquely decorated to add a splash of personality.

In the back half of the short you get to see what an actual derby looks like as competitors are slowly knocked out one by one. It’s a film that truly allows you to sit back, watch a bunch of cars get wrecked, and have a fantastic time in the process.

Review by: Brandon MacMurray