As part of the Glasgow Short Film Festival 2018
Southeast Asia is one of the focal points of the Glasgow Short Film Festival 2018. Audiences get the chance to see work by some of the masters of Southeast Asian cinema including screenings from Nguyễn Trinh Thi and Apichatpong Weerasethakul. There are also opportunities to see work from up and coming directors from the region. The Death and Killing in Southeast Asia programme presents six short films from a variety of filmmakers from Malaysia, Philippines, Myanmar, Thailand, Indonesia and Singapore.
The programme begins with an animated short film called The Tiger of 142B. It has a bold and vibrant visual style and is the perfect film to start the Death and Killing in Southeast Asia programme. The characters are simple in design, but expressive and emotive in appearance. The story follows a young man and his girlfriend who somehow get caught up in a bizarre story in which a tiger may or may not be loose in their apartment building.
Along The Way follows the story of a mother and son. Unfortunately there were some playback issues with the projection of this film which made it hard to follow. What was obvious was the personal nature of the movie in which religion and family are questioned in a touching and careful manner. Death of the Soundman grabs the viewers’ attention from the first scene. We see a soundman recording the foley sound effects for a pornographic film. It sets a comedic tone which is carried throughout the 16 minute short from director Sorayos Papapan. It is a film about filmmaking and fully presents how creative and inventive a sound designer can be and how vital they are to the fimmaking process.
Little Sons is the longest movie in the selection at 24 minutes. Directors Sai Whira Linn Khant, Yu Par Mo Mo and Nay Chi Myat Noe Wint present a short about neglected youth and journeys and again highlight the depth of work that is being made in Southeast Asia at the moment. Jodilerks Dela Cruz, Employee of the Month changes the tone somewhat, as it is a comedic look at the life of a gas station attendant. It is Jodilerks’ last night on the job and she encounters a variety of bizarre events that try her patience. This is a well shot and interesting film, where the main character is presented with agency, heart and intrigue.
The final film in the Death and Killing in Southeast Asia programme is It’s Easier to Raise Cattle from director Amanda Nell Eu. Family and childhood could be seen as one of the underlying themes of this selection of short films. The movie follows two teenagers who form a friendship and discover more about each other as the film progresses. It is a highly personal short and an excellent conclusion to this fine selection of short films.