Walking down into a dark basement in Komedia, I had a vague impression of walking into a seedy underground bar. After checking that I had indeed walked into a showing for ‘Final Cut,’ I sat taking in my surroundings; various tables set with candles and popcorn surrounded me. Six middle aged men comprise the audience. The atmosphere is laid back, almost tranquil.

Finally the dark screen is lit with the words ‘Final Cut’ and the show begins. Part 1 focused on shorts produced by the Hamburg Media School. The shorts produced remind me strongly of films directed by A2 Level film makers trying their hardest to be ‘cutting edge’, and almost succeeding. All selected Shorts are shot in black and white with no dialogue. The films are bleak, cold representations of difficult situations.

Certain Shorts stood out, drawing on diverse effects and camera angles which aren’t exactly unique but do catch your eye; One Step Further, directed by Robert Kellner led me to nearly fall off my seat due to the excessive sound and close up of a window being broken. Another Short, Silent Sea, is directed by Llena Liberta; this is an effective portrayal of a Father and his autistic son suffering bereavement. Liberta’s use of symbolism as stones ripple in a lake is particularly effective.

These are certainly not Pixar Shorts, not a happy 5 minutes in the entire hour of film, but definitely worth a watch.

The second half of the night was a cheerier experience, which had nothing to do with the second glass of wine I had in my hand, and more to do with the dry wit of the Screen South Digital Shorts. These films seemed more at home in a Komedia bar.

The room ricocheted with laughter as a Short entitled Just Because You’re Paranoid included a traffic warden protagonist, Derek, placing a parking ticket on his psychiatrist’s car, only to have the latter running out of his office to punch Derek squarely on the nose.

The highlights of the night consisted of two British Shorts. Firstly a 1998 film titled Unloveable directed by Peter Naylor and Carl Hunter. The film tracks the antics of a local called Shed who takes advantage of a gullible American Smiths fan. Over acted, over the top and superbly tongue in cheek, a must see. The last short of the night was undeniably the best. A Mike Leigh Short film aptly titled The Short and Curlies. An incredible performance by David Thewlis, whose character in the film can only converse through terrible jokes. A humour only a British director could achieve combined with brilliantly understated performances ended the night perfectly.

The next Final Cut will be shown on the 15th Nov at 19.30pm Komedia £4.

Written by Karla White

Categories: Theatre

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