Kierston Drier

Film Review: DEADLY VIEW (Ireland) Mystery Thriller

festreviews 2016 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Under 5 Minute FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERDEADLY VIEW, 3min., Ireland, Thriller/Mystery
Directed by Malcolm Willis

Just before dawn, a dark suspicious man drives to a desolate location where he carries a large black bag containing an unknown object, together with a spade, from the boot.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

DEADLY VIEW will trap you instantly with its’ dark, ominous pathetic fallacy. Set against ominous clouds, a mysterious brooding hero drives high up into a secluded mountain. Once at the top of a high peak he pulls something large and bulky out of his trunk- something covered in a thick black garbage bag. Worried? Me too. The beautiful Irish landscape, from which our film comes from, carries some specific weight in this piece, as our hero takes out tools and begins to dig, clank and hack his way in the earth.

 

So the surprise at the end of this punchy three minute piece is truly delightful, when the man finishes his work and takes a seat in the mountain top at his new, recently installed swivel chair. He spins on the mountains, utterly free, with the joy of a child at Christmas. The world he belongs to instantly brightens.

 

A special nod must be made to the beauty of the landscape and to the well chosen actor who can play both dark and sinister, and joyfully child-like. Also the smooth execution of a the classic bait-and-switch which issues delight from any audience. This lovely, humor-fixed short definitely speaks to anyone familiar with the Irish landscape- certainly a view to die for.

 

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the Short Film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: HORSE PARADE (Puerto Rico)

festreviews 2016 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Under 5 Minute FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERHORSE PARADE, 1min., Puerto Rico, Romance/Experimental
Directed by Otavio Pacheco

In a chess game the black horse and the white queen fall in love, and then the white horse starts a dispute for her love.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

HORSE PARADE is a delightful stop-action experimental romance with a twist. It shows a chessboard where the White Queen and Black Horse have fallen in love in a sort of musical, a-typical dance.

 

Full of rich symbology, HORSE PARADE shows two characters that throw aside the rules of regulations of their universe and step beyond the bounds of their reality, to join each other in dance. Their dance soon entrances the other chess pieces, who cease their game to stand on the sides of the board to watch them. Shades and piece mingle, lines are crossed and sides are discredited, all for the sake of the dance between the Horse and the Queen.

 

This could be a piece about love without boundaries, as the Queen and Horse have a variety of obstacles- they are from opposing sides, they are of different values (Queen being greater than Horse in value), they have different roles within the society which is their world. This story, totally wordlessly and with only music and motion, shows how love can end the fighting. A beautiful metaphor for anyone watching.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the SHORT FILM:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: NO WOMAN (Afghanistan) Experimental/Drama

festreviews 2016 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERNO WOMAN, 3min., Afghanistan, Experimental/Drama
Directed by Yama Rauf

There is a world beyond our world, when it comes to a decision, there is always a big NO to WOMEN. in this case majority suffers from it but only few women take the risk and fights for it.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

Simple, short and thought provoking, NO WOMAN comes to us from Afghanistan, as a dramatic and experimental piece with no easy answers. A study in the power of symbology, NO WOMAN shows a small girl walking forward in the desert as a masked gunman stands near. A shot is fired and the mask is pulled away but what lies beneath it, and to some extent the fate of the girl are unknown and left up to interpretation.

 

Beyond its thought-provoking imagery and genre-defying, NO WOMAN has the unique power of being able to represent many things to many different people. It is equally valid to interpret this film as a story of a Afghan girl made victim by a masked adult, as it is to interpret as a philosophical stance of women’s’ rights’ on a global level. The final image shows our heroine walking onward away from the masked obstacle- whether it is her in real life, a dream, or as a spirit, we do not ever explicitly know.

 

In a time where human rights’ and world issues are ever on our doorstep, where global and political are thrust into public focus, NO WOMAN stands as a subtle but powerful visual story. It could be about generations clashing, differences in religion, cultures or politics colliding, hopefulness and fear standing at odds, or gender issues in a powerful face-off. All are equally possible, and all equally effective- take a look to decide for yourself.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the Short Film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: A COUPLE (France) Relationship

festreviews 2016 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Under 5 minute FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERA COUPLE, 4min., France, Relationship
Directed by David Steiner

Three minutes in the life of a couple.

Project Title (Original Language):UN COUPLE

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

A disagreement is very a common thing in a relationship- the factors around it are often layered in subtext and personal context, but nevertheless, most of us have been there. Enter A Couple, a short hailing from France, which unwraps the complexity of a couple’s’ disagreement with delicacy and honesty.

 

The dialogue is spectacularly honest and real; the acting excellent. A convincing and upfront look into one moment of the tens of thousands that make up a romantic relationship. Stylishly shot in black and white and boasting an ending open to discussion, the beauty of this film is how incredibly believable it is. One might think the actresses in the film are a couple in real life- a testament to the astute attention paid to all aspects of the characters’ relationship.

 

A film that invites us to take a deeper look at ourselves and our assumptions about romantic relationships, A Couple, is a film not to miss.

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the Short Film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: THE KUSBEGI (Mongolia) Documentary

festreviews 2016 movies, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, shorts showcase, Uncategorized , , , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

THE KUSBEGI, 2min, Mongolia, Documentary
Directed by Johnny Cullen

A short film about Kazakh Eagle Hunters in Western Mongolia.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

Kusbegi comes to us from Mongolia, boasting beautiful riveting imagery and opulent cinematography. A sample short for what could easy be a feature, Kusbegi tells a visual tale of the Mongolian Eagle hunters. The cinematography is utterly spell binding and the keen attention to visual details leaves the viewers’ wanting more.

 

Kusbegi merely wets the palate of what must be a rich, deep and complex culture of the Mongolian people. Their relationship with animals, tamed and untamed, is a remarkable alliance worthy of observation. Creating a deep and sensuous feel to the intimacy of a lone hunter in the pursuit of the necessary catch. The thrill, the patience, the focus- are all beautifully translated in this radiant visual masterpiece.

 

While Kusbegi as a short film seems to lend itself to a larger, more fleshed-out feature film, the short is no less enjoyable. Subtle, bright and flawlessly cinegraphic, Kusbegi is a film to capture your heart.

 

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the Short Film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: NO SIGNAL (Spain) Experimental Documentary

festreviews 2016 movies, Documentary, Kierston Drier, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERNO SIGNAL, 1min., Spain, Documentary
Directed by Alaa Chnana

From all the acts of the present, the one can affect the past as well as the future is the war.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

No Signal  a riveting, stylized look at the crisis of war in Syria, is a study in interpretation. It it s a film that highlights the very raw, very gritty ravages of war against, and the highlight reel of pain engraved upon the memories of the people it affects.

 

The open, expressionless faces of Syrian refugees of young, old, large and small are superimposed on lightning-fast intercuts of media images of war and destruction. The effect of this stylized work is powerful and thought-provoking, begging the audience to question if we are looking at a human beings’ memories, or if we are looking at the war through the media that is used to describe their lives.

 

Ultimately, No Signal expresses the idea that we are really only ever scratching the surface of what is affected by war and political conflict. So often the rapid fire images we are bombarded with through the media dehumanize the suffering faced by real people every day.

No Signal brings us back to this humanity, by showing us these media images against the backdrop of human beings we do not know- yet we certainly recognize.

Technically speaking, the editing of No Signal must be highly commended. The sheer volume of media images that are used are superbly intercut and seamlessly tailored together. No Signal has a simple approach to storytelling that is effective and powerful, and for that, it is a film worth seeing.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the Short Film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: TIME (Hong Kong) Documentary

festreviews 2016 movies, Documentary, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review , , , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERTIME, 3min., Hong Kong, Docuementary
Directed by Tak Chun Patrick Cheung

In 1951 the Hong Kong clock tower was built in the district of Tsim Sha Tsui. After all this time overlooking the Victoria Harbour for 100 years, no one has realised until now that a mysterious power from the clock will change the course of time.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

Time is a three-minute visual masterpiece, a stunning flurry of life, light and impeccable sound that follows one full day and night in the busy metropolis of Hong Kong. Following the image of the Iconic Hong Kong Clock Tower, TIME takes us through the cities, the roads, the boardwalks, the citysquares, the ferries wheels and the billboards of a city that never slows down.

 

Compellingly shot, flawlessly composed and brilliantly dynamic in every angle and dimension, TIME will leave you undeniably spellbound. The music entices you, the visual unity is engaging and the spectacle engulfs you in another world.

 

What is perhaps most compelling about TIME, from a cinematic and philosophical point of view, is how much modern Hong Kong mirrors any other high-profile metropolis. New York, Bejing, Paris, San Francisco, Toronto, Rome- could equally rival the brilliant days and vibrant nightlife. In this way TIME does something magical- it shows you a different world that is remarkably relatable. It takes you to another place, and still manages to make you think of home. A gripping, visually engaging, brilliant piece of cinema that takes us around the world and back again while never having to leave our seat.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the short film:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event
ACTORMARCH 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from March 31st event		 ACTORFEBRUARY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from February 25th event		 ACTORJANUARY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from Jan. 28th event

Film Review: GAYROUTH (France/Lebanon) Documentary

festreviews 2016 movies, Documentary, Kierston Drier, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

GAYROUTH 31min., France/Lebanon, Documentary
Directed by Charbel Raad

To be gay in Beirut, one of the most open minded capitals in the Middle East, which is sinking in the era of repressions, is not as easy as it looks. This documentary tells an exceptional and an uncommon story of two lives.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

Sharp, poignant, heartbreaking and unexpectedly funny, Gayruth follows the raw, gritty stories to two homosexual men and their separate lives while living Lebanon, where homosexuality is still widely frowned upon. Hiding their lifestyles and identities from their families (and to some degree the film crew) it reminds us what a very grave risk our subjects take exposing themselves to film.

 

Gayrouth takes a journey through the uneasy realities of a homosexual lifestyle in Beirut, focusing on the struggles to carve out peace for ones’ self in a sea of disapproval from both the personal and public spectrum. Gayrouth must be commended on all the areas it covers in the short time it has to make its’ statements. It touches on the disconnect and even breakdown of family ties for those who are hiding their sexuality.  It explores the ostracisation of one from their community. Most tragically, it showcases the personal story of one man’s emotional and psychological breakdown after his isolation turns him to a life a anonymous sex, and his struggle to pull himself out of the abusive cycle.  

 

And yet, lingering in all these deep, intense and heavy emotional moments- are islands of laughter, beats of humor, images of happiness- the moments when one of our heros’ is with his partner. We see, through the closed doors of a life lived hidden away- the love that makes the sacrifice.

 

Gayrouth is an emotionally hard-hitting film, which takes a real look at the struggles and risks of what it means to be “out” in an unwelcoming place. However it also shows hope and happiness. It shows love that preserves. It shows lives worthy of loving without fear. For these reason, watch Gayrouth.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the FILM:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Film Review: THE NINTH OVEN (Mexico). Documentary

festreviews 2016 movies, movie, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

Played at the November 2016 Best of Short Documentary FEEDBACK Film Festival.

MOVIE POSTERTHE NINTH OVEN, 10min., Mexico, Documentary
Directed by Erika Oregel

A boy of 14 years is living his last years childhood before having 15 years; years in which is legal to work in Mexico. He has been working illegaly since 9 years old to work and get a living with his grandmother.

REVIEW by Kierston Drier: 

The Ninth Oven, a short, stunning piece hailing from Mexico, follows a young boy and his journey through the illegal work he does to help support his family. Our hero, a spirited teenager, has juggled school, studying and working as a brick maker since the age of nine. Illegal though it is to be employed so young, our protagonists approaches his situation with admirable maturity.

The Ninth Oven has an unassuming charm about it. It’s approach to the realities of life in the rural area are looked at through the eyes of our young male lead. As such, the larger political and economic issues connected to child labour are subtle- a microscopic view of a larger social issue. Through the lense of the hero nothing seems abnormal. His bright and effervescent optimism is a constant source of pride to his family and loved ones. His dedication to his family, his work and his future easily tug the heartstrings of any audience. The Ninth Oven takes a look at child labor from the perspective of the laborer who does not see their work as a cross to bear- but a challenge they must rise to. It is impossible not to like our hero, as he explains he does not desire a life of wealth or affluence- he only wants to have enough to be happy. A nobel and astute goal for someone so young.

 

Brightly shot, The Ninth Oven is a beautifully woven story that makes us imagine what it is like to live in other parts of the world and that adulthood is rarely a matter of chronological age.

 

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO of the SHORT FILM:

WATCH PAST FILM FESTIVAL EVENTS and the FEEDBACK VIDEOS of EACH SELECTED FILM 

ACTOROCTOBER HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTOROCTOBER ACTION/CRIME 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from October event		 ACTORSEPTEMBER DOC/COMEDY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from September event
ACTORAUGUST FAMILY/ANIMATION 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 25th event		 ACTORAUGUST HORROR/THRILLER 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from August 18th event		 ACTORJULY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from July 28th event
ACTORJUNE 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from June 30th event		 ACTORMAY 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from May 26th event		 ACTORAPRIL 2016 Film Festival
Watch Audience Feedback Videos from April 28th event

Movie Review: TENGU: BIRDMAN OF THE MOUNTAINS (2016)

festreviews 2016 movies, movie, Movie Review, Short Film Movie Review, Uncategorized , , , , ,

MOVIE POSTERTENGU: BIRDMAN OF THE MOUNTAINS, 8min., UK, Action/Fantasy
Directed by Samuel Smith

A father struggles to protect his family against the terror of the Tengu, bird-men of the mountains.

Played at the October 2016 ACTION/CRIME Short Film Festival

Review by Kierston Drier

This poetic fantasy action film, hailing from the United Kingdom and coming to us from director Samuel Smith, is a study in genre splicing. Tengu: Birdman of the Mountains has the poetic elements of a romance, the luxurious visuals of a fantasy, the tension and suspense of a thriller, and the fight scenes of a high-concept action film. Told through the eyes of a child, our hero watches as his highly skilled father, endowed with supernatural natural strength from his Chi, fights off terrifying bird-like villains from this family’s mountain home. Packed with stunning fight sequences that highlight the filmmakers’ excellent technical skills, this piece is a must-see for anyone who enjoys action.

There is some disconnect in the story, although it is justifiable. Despite the glamourous make up and extravagant clothing the Hero’s family wears, the shelter they dwell in appears to be little more than sticks tied to together into a ramshackle hovel. However, when it is considered that this film is taken through the eyes of a child, and also straddles of the line of fantasy and action- this distension of disbelief is well worth it the pay off. And pay off? A glowing story of intrigue, passion, and danger with a dark and sinister twist.

Tengu: Birdman of the Mountains,  is a film that will delight you with its symbology, its imagery and it’s excellent fight sequences, but it goes far beyond that. This film represents of genre-hybrid that should be welcomed into cinema with open arms. It is highly commendable thing to be able to successfully blend genres together, and this film is able to do that. With effortless ease a viewer can watch this film and find something in it to enjoy even if they are not conventionally a viewer of action.

AUDIENCE FEEDBACK VIDEO: