Full Frontal (seven short films)
An observation about spoilers:
1. There are a lot of films with moments that should be discussed only with caution because they are spoilers.
2. Some films have major twists, particularly at the end, that need particularly strong spoiler warnings.
3. And then there are films with twists so big that it's a spoiler even to mention that there is a twist that needs spoiler warnings.
I find it particularly interesting that this short film series includes two, possibly three, films that fall into spoiler category "3". Obviously I'm not going to say which ones, but I'm pointing that out for people who saw the film series (or some of the individual films) and are interested in discussing the films with me.
There are, in addition, some spoilers in category "2", which I've marked normally with the [Spoiler (click to open)] tag.
On with the film summaries!
"Scotty's Vag"
Good.
2022, 16 minutes, USA, English
SIFF description: A college freshman goes outside her comfort zone to impress the older girl she wants as her sorority "big".
Director Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz scheduled to attend.
An explanatory note: in sorority rush (recruiting) jargon, a "big" is a senior who oversees a freshman "little" through the process of joining a sorority.
My initial reaction to this film was quite negative, but on further consideration I realized that I was reacting to the disturbing power games that the film depicted, not the film's portrayal. Directing and acting were excellent, story was good.
Bonus: Writer-director Chaconne Martin-Berkowicz did indeed attend, and participated in a Q&A after the film. I'm not sure whether I would have revised my reaction to the film upward without the Q&A, but that may have contributed. I asked her a question about something I thought I saw in the credits, and not only did Martin-Berkowicz confirm that I read the credits correctly, she said that the credit - for a photograph that appeared on screen about as briefly as the credit - was "surprisingly difficult" to obtain with use rights.
"fur"
Fair.
2022, 7 minutes, USA, English
SIFF description: A crush gone moldy . . .
I couldn't make heads or tails of the story, if any. But the animation was creative.
"Affricative" ("Affrikáta")
Excellent.
2022, 26 minutes, Hungary, Hungarian, English, Croatian
SIFF description: A single mother's adventure by the seaside leads her to recognize her unnecessary martyrdom for her disabled teenage daughter.
A Hungarian "helicopter mother" (whose name is mentioned only in the credits) takes her two teen daughters to a seaside hotel named "Affrikáta" and tries to protect them from the libidinous bartender, Mark.
The directing and story are good, the acting is very good, and the photography is excellent. But it's simply too long for the story it's telling. I found one aspect of the ending completely to the point of the entire film, but I found another aspect questionable. (I can't explain without spoilers.)
[Explanation with spoilers.]
When the mother hooks up with a man, it's clear that it was something she needed, after sacrificing so much to protect her daughters, who are growing up to the point that they can protect themselves. That's the aspect that was the whole point of the film.
However, I found her choice of a man to hook up with somewhat dubious. The very guy she was trying to protect her daughters for? To me it felt like more a storytelling expedient, avoiding the complexity of introducing another character. On the other hand, if he's all over the guy to keep him away from her daughters, who else is she going to meet? And it makes sense that if her daughters find him attractive she would too.
Whichever way one sees the point in the spoilery explanation, the film is still longer than it needed to be.
My favorite bit of dialog in the film (paraphrase of subtitles from memory) was about the name of the hotel that is also the film's title.
Mark asked the mother, "Would you like to know why this hotel is named 'Affricative' instead of 'Africa'?"
Her answer is brilliant. (Spoiler.) [Her answer.]
"No"
"Call Me Mommy"
Excellent.
2022, 15 minutes, Ireland, English
SIFF description: Uncovering the multifaceted life of Sinead, a middle-aged single mother and online sex worker.
IMDB: "Call Me Mommy" (includes links to the film's official site, which links media coverage)
This documentary tells about a 40-ish mother of four who is so good at her job as an on-line porn performer that she's able to make a good living for herself and her family, after her husband left her and an abusive ex-boyfriend went to prison. It's tragic - but unsurprising - that most of her extended family ostracizes her for her profession. But it's surprising who her biggest supporters are (and were).
[Spoilers: her biggest supporters.]
Spoiler: her biggest supporters.
Sinead's biggest supporter is her adult daughter, who would much rather have her mother safe at home working at a socially disfavored job than risk the possibility that her mother might end up dependent on another abusive boyfriend.
Her other biggest supporter was her mother, who apparently understood her situation.
The filmmakers had a bit of a dilemma. Although the film showed a few fragments of Sinead's work, and mentioned how she manages to make a living in a business where twenty-something women have so many advantages, it doesn't go very far in explaining how she manages to compete. Obviously that would be difficult to accomplish without showing her porn. The film gives hint - the striking poster on the film's IMDB page hints at her style of work, and the film itself shows that she collaborates with twenty-something co-stars - but it still seems vague. (Then again, maybe it's doing something right if it made me curious enough to want to know more.)
The documentary's production values are very good, and it tells Sinead's story well. And it does an excellent job of presenting her as someone who chose her profession, rather than the being forced into it by desperate circumstances, and legitimizing sex work in general.
"Oversight"
Good.
2023, 15 minutes, Canada, English and French
SIFF description: When Erin and Farah cross paths in a laundromat, Erin notices Farah had a questionable date in the bathroom of the laundromat earlier that night and offers some . . . misguided wisdom.
The acting in this short is good to excellent in the larger roles. The directing makes the most of the confined space of the setting. The story is good.
Bonus: Two of the filmmakers, including writer-director Lorna Kidjo, were present, and participated in a Q&A after the screenings.
"Pussy Love"
Very good.
2023, 4 minutes, Germany, English
SIFF description: Cool Cat invites you to enjoy a show of lust and laziness. The claws are sharp, the soda is sparkling, and the fur is getting wet.
This animated piece doesn't tell much of a story, but the animation and style are so strong they outweigh the thin substance.
"Fuck Me Richard"
Excellent.
2023, 15 minutes, USA and Australia
SIFF description: Recovering from a broken leg, Sally begins a phone relationship with Richard, a guy she met on a dating app. But when Richard starts asking Sally for money she begins questioning his motives.
This short is a real winner, my second favorite film of the festival (after the short "Canary" in the Family Picture Show).
The directing does a fantastic job of keeping the film visually interesting in spite of the confined set. The acting is excellent. And the story uses every minute of the film to reveal new layers.
Bonus: Writer-director-star Lucy McKendrick was present for a Q&A after the screenings. Even better, I got to talk with her afterwards. It wasn't a particularly consequential conversation, but it was still fun.
Screening SIFF Cinema Uptown #3, mostly full.
Snacks: none.
Ads and extras:
- Native lands - the usual statement of acknowledgement of the Salish people who lived in the Pacific Northwest since time immemorial.
- BECU - a credit union that is a substantial sponsor of this year's SIFF.
- Movieverse - a SIFF promotion with a space theme.
- Smoke Sauna Sisterhood - an Estonian documentary about the centuries old ritual of the sauna.
- A Room of My Own (Chemi Otakhi) - a Georgian feature about a small town woman who moves in with a big city woman.
- Megan Leonard (SIFF programmer) presents
- Movieverse - one of several animated SIFF promotions, each with a space theme.