Cape Town leg of short film festival focuses on women
AHEAD of the main shnit Worldwide Short Film Festival in October, shnit Cape Town has teamed up with The Alexander Bar to bring a taste of shnit to the city.
They will be screening the best short films shnit has to offer, in celebration of Women’s Month, with a selection of thought-provoking and exciting films made by female directors from around the world.
After each there will be an opportunity to chat to the local film-makers who are behind some of the most exciting shorts coming out of the country.
The Call (Zamo Mkhwanazi) 10min. It’s the story of Sibongiseni, an emotionally isolated taxi driver who finds out the prostitute he is regularly seeing is pregnant.
He must decide whether to abort the child or change his ways and try to form bonds with the woman and a child that is potentially his.
Into Us and Ours (Jessie Zinn) 13min. Zenzile and Marie are driving home when something hits their car. The incident, and the way each perceives the event, ignites a series of misunderstandings between them.
Reality + (Coralie Fargeat) 22min. Through the Reality+ technology you can now have access to an “improved reality”. The chip implanted in your brain affects your senses to change the perception of your image.
Embryo (Emma Thorsadner) 13min. “My mother still doesn’t know,” says one of five women who in intimate and frank conversation discuss their abortion stories.
Operator (Caroline Bartleet) 6min. Gemma wakes to find the house on fire. Trapped with her son, she dials 999. The operator who answers holds Gemma’s life in her hands.
Baby Daddy (Sarah Summers) 5min. A father-to-be awaits the birth of his child with his family.
This is a joyous occasion as everyone gathers to celebrate this new life into the world, but the father can’t help but think of the direct impact it will have on his life.
Edmond (Nina Gantz) 9min. Edmond’s impulse to love and be close to others is strong… Maybe too strong. As he stands at a lake contemplating his option, he goes on a journey backwards through his life and revisits all his defining moments in search of the origins of his desires.
Zima (Cristina Picchi) 12min. A journey through North Russia and Siberia where people have to cope with one of the world’s harshest climates, where the boundary between life and death is so thin it’s sometimes almost non-existent.
Tickets cost R80 and R90 to the screenings on Sunday, August 20 at 7pm. Visit www.alexanderbar.co.za or call 021 300 1028 to book. shnit Worldwide Shortfilmfestival runs October 18 until 22 at several venues in Cape Town. For details visit www. shnit.org