SNOB
Long live the short
by Andrés Nazarela R.

What are we talking about when we talk about Chilean film? Unfairly, not of shorts like those that make up “SNOB”, the first installment of the project “Encyclopedia of Chilean Short Film”, distributed by Retaguardia Films and Videochile. Here are six works which surpass the national feature films that every so often make it to the theater. They are restless pieces, innovative and exemplary, that starting tomorrow can be purchased on DVD or appreciated at Cine Arte Alameda.

“XX”, by Cristian Jiménez: The filmmaker who made a name for himself with “The Treasure of the Snails” offers a close-up love story in black and white, somewhere between the bedroom postcards of French New Wave (especially the saga of Antoine Doinel, of Truffaut and “Breathless” by Godard) and the first Jim Jarmusch. A sad outing to the zoo, the smell of mothballs found in a classic bar in La Unión neighborhood, and down time in a bedroom form part of this work which pairs an intentionally inexpressive Nicolás Saavedra with the photogenic Ingrid Isensee. “XX” is a very successful exercise in style.

“Llorando debajo del agua”, by Alicia Scherson: The much-applauded director approaches videoart with a short about airports and solitude that she filmed when she lived in the United States. Carried over from “Play” is the absurd humor and sense of experimentation that leads her to, for example, form texts from song fragments. Museum cinema. Cold, but interesting.

“12 Minutes”, by Sebastián Campos: A game of imitations that was born when Sebastián Campos (“Sacred Family”) was asked to make a short film for the launching of a new line of watches. He used the opportunity to laugh at himself and measure out a parody of the snobbish circle from which he disentangles himself. With Pablo Díaz (as Sebastián Campos), Néstor Cantillana, and Katina Huberman. Funny, even though it’s just a joke.

“Obreras saliendo de la fabrica”, by José Luis Torres Leiva: In a recent stay in Chile, the French critic Jean-Pierre Rehm (writer for the prestigious magazine “Cahiers du Cinéma”), praised this notable short that, like Gus Van Sant’s “Elephant” (or its inspiration, the Hungarian Bela Tarr), is dedicated to following its characters in interlacing circuits. In this case, this means the women who work in an enormous factory and leave for the beach. Without dialogues or zeal for discourse, Torres Leiva delivers an excellent sample of contemplative cinema.

“Vernissagge”, by Yael Rosenblut: Another parody, this time of the exhibition and curator’s circles. The artist Yael Rosenblut convinced real protagonists – such as Justo Pastor Mellado, Francisco Brugnoli, Guillermo Machuca and Gaspar Galaz – to submit themselves to this funny fresco on the rivalries, cynicism, and meanness that often surround the visual arts. The only actors – María José Prieto and Felipe Ríos – are found trapped in the network of pretensions. A short autobiography that could annoy critics, curators or artists without a sense of humor.

“Lobos de la feria fluvial”, de Ilan Stehberg: Sensory journey through the beautiful Valdivian geography in which three children meet at the riverside market, territory of amazing sea lions. It’s an ingenious tribute to southern flora and fauna, all to the beat of electronic music.

Ideal for: Those who aren’t afraid of short ideas.
GOOD