Dublin International Film Festival: Thematically Organising DIFF’s Short Films into diff Categories; what Parallels and Differences can come from Contemporary Reflections?
Most articles covering this year’s Diff will provide a brief overview of the world-class Irish and international cinema that will be taking the stage this year, from the 19th of February to the first of March. They will skip past the plus hundreds of screenings to list only the attention-grabbing names like Paul Rudd, Colin Farrell, Donal Gleeson, or Maisie Williams… who will be both starring in some world premieres and in attendance! But look…now I’m doing it too…there is definitely cause to celebrate some of the spectacles in this year's Diff and for more information about all of the panels, masterclasses and premiers that top the IT list, a quick search will provide all, however, with this article, I wanted to try to topple the large task of discussing every single short film that will be screened at DIFF. To help with my task and keep me on track, I have created five of their most prominent themes/ genres to characterise the shorts.
Perspectives on intergenerational relationships.
Youth: nightlife, isolation and love.
Magic realism, utter fantasy and scifi-horror.
Technology, Sport and Mental Health.
Striving for a better Ireland.
While the categories don’t encompass all of them perfectly, and many of them could fit into all five, by editing and separating them in this way, insight into collective creative visions is inferred. And to make it clear, I am simply going off the descriptions provided from different websites ,as it is still too early to watch these films! So without further ado, roll the cameras for some very bite-sized descriptions of some bite-sized yet incredibly weighty sounding films. Action!
1) Intergenerational relationships - understanding the challenges from both perspectives
From the NTA shorts selection: “The Race” presents a family gathering for a grandfather’s last day, not as collective strength but disparate discovery of hidden agendas all throughout the family. Meanwhile, “Babysitter” discusses the challenges of having a social life and dating as a single mother.
Meanwhile, from Virgin Media Discovers: “Samhain” tells the tale of a worn-out mother having to tap into her autistic son’s imagination after he has gone missing, to find him literally and figuratively and surpass their distance of perspective.
From Screen Ireland Shorts 1 and 2: “A Song” delves deep into how forming a new relationship for music teacher Noel can bring back long-suppressed memories of his estranged mother, confronting an emotional distance between generations from the son’s perspective. Conversely, “forget me not” is simply about the unlikely friendship which a young woman can develop with a lonely child and his horse, which mirrors the DIFF short “On Belonging”, this time perceiving an Irish widow and a Tamil immigrant surprisingly connecting.
From the Diff Shorts 1 and 2: “Tymek” takes a look at how relocating from Poland to Ireland can put further strain on a son-and-father relationship. Meanwhile, “Pick-me-up” centres on Annelise’s contemplation of focusing on her personal youth, but also being aware that one day her mother will die. “His house, home” and “driving lesson” identify comparable ethical dilemmas, choosing to please the older generation but going against values or choosing yourself and your beliefs despite the risk. Finally, “Like Other People” uses the event of a condom break to ask the question: “Is family something you choose, or something reserved for people whose lives are already sorted?”
Youth: nightlife, isolation and love.
From NTA Shorts: Nine year old Abbey “The Parting” has a clear goal; if she achieves perfect hair, the turmoil of her home life won’t affect her. In “Let Go,” best friends Orla and Megan reflect on how disability may be difficult, but being a teenager is an entirely different battle.
From Screen Ireland Shorts 1 and 2: “Magic Markers” animates a lonely boy’s drawing of a brother to life, only for him to learn that he has the strength to deal with bullies alone as well, while “Bad Person” explores the complicated kind of morality that gets mixed up with being a ‘bad drunk.’ The observations on murky nightlife go deeper with “Breeders”, the morning after a sweaty disco, which Peter will never forget and “Afters”, focusing on the “surreal afters of an elitist wedding, which opens up a world of judgment, doubt and unease.”
From DIFF 1 and 2: “Anatomy of an Irish Disco” is what it says on the tin: a documentary about the Irish rite of passage, “What You Will” is about an ordinary day that turns unforgettable because of what’s beneath the surface, “Mates” is also about what’s beneath the surface of male friendships while “Parting” is all about bringing those unspoken feelings to the surface. Then “Newton Boys” is about youth’s freedom and repressed history, and “Wonderwall” is about youth’s freedom and a healthcare crisis. Finally, “When Ying met Yang” is about opposites attracting, while “Nostalgie” is about the discomforting challenge of trying to recapture your glory days.
3) Magic realism, utter fantasy and scifi-horror.
From NTA Shorts, “4C” explores challenging topics in a humorous way as Toby, a black man anxious to meet new people, decides to visit a dinner party where he gets his afro tugged at by all the guests wanting and getting a euphoric experience from it.
From Screen Ireland Shorts 2, “The Cloud Herder” is a beautiful animated short about a herder trying to keep his cloud-flock safe from the storm, while “About Me” is about a monster who wears a human face to meet the faces that she meets …until she meets a seductive stranger who wavers her spirits.
Now, the creativity and variety continue in “DIFF Shorts 3 - Isn’t it fantastic,” a category dedicated entirely to sci-fi horror shorts. To attempt to describe all of these bonker set-ups would be too scary, so instead I’ll pick just a snippet from each description.
“Chimaera” - rom-com set-up to body horror
“Growing Pains” - Grow Your Own Girlfriend Kit
“Our Father” - scruffy preacher … late-night porno shop
“Molly and the Robot” - Irish Mythology and Reggae Rhythms
“Urinal Situation” - too much interest in toilet habits
“Tuna Tartare” - tuna fish and a fake Louis Vuitton
“The Gnawer of Rocks” - Mangittatuarjuk
“Happy Birthday!” - unprocessed grief
“Rendezvous” - rats are out for booze
“Whisper of the tranquil water” - mysterious caller
“Praying Mantis” - dark secrets …revelations.
4) Technology, Sport and Mental Health.
When it comes to documentaries, IRL and POV are two Community Shorts that tackle the contrasting impacts of Social Media (IRL) and sport (POV) on young people’s mental health. When it comes to online settings, “Sub5” (Virgin Media) uses online dating to evoke a stressful catfish story, while “Violent Volition” (Screen Ireland Shorts 1) uses fighter game characters to explore human free will and violence. Finally, Meteoric is an allegory for the online commodification of art and the cult of celebrity. Redirecting our attention to sport, “Punt” (Screen Ireland Shorts 1) used the 1994 World Cup as a backdrop to explore a crucial bet of whether Ireland will qualify, woven with a character study and “Internal Bleeding" (Diff 2) explores the mental health impact of simply finding a stranger that will listen to you in this technologically disparate world.
5) Striving for a better Ireland.
Finally, before we discuss how Diff makes a difference with promoting underrepresented voices and placing the limelight on Irish issues, there are a few more shorts that are particularly resonant to the Irish struggle.
From Virgin Media Discover: “Lydia,” a story about one transgender woman sparking a historic battle against the Irish State to be recognised as female based on true events, continues the fight for trans and queer equality and representation. And finally, “Emergency Accommodation," a short, cleverly critiquing the chaos of the Irish health system.
Diff, along with its films, helps to make a difference through promoting shorts from “Fresh Film Hothouse,” (giving young budding film-makers a place to shine) “Irish Music Videos,” (helping to promote other arts on the big screen) “Dublin on Screen,” (truthfully documenting Dublin perspectives) “Value for many,” (public works commissioned films highlighting the importance of design in addressing our pressing national infrastructure deficit) and finally, “Ballymun Filmmakers: New Voices on Screen” and “Community Shorts” (giving greater access to under-represented perspectives and covering varied themes with their shorts!)
And that’s a wrap. Please do go support the amazing variety of short films and features at this year’s DIFF. There is literally something for everybody. For more information, check out Home | Dublin International Film Festival.
Written by Ben Lynch (ben_lynch__)
Edited by Shaunamay Martin Bohan
