This series of films confronts the dreams and ambitions of youth as they slowly give way to the harsher side of life’s realities. As characters’ aspirations go against the grain of tradition, we see tales of individuals facing shattered ideals and clanging disappointments. However, when the force of the dream is charged enough, we see a little bit of hope remaining amongst the heartbreak.
Rottwieler
United Kingdom (15min), Dir: Jonny Powell
When Sophia’s boyfriend returns from prison with a debt over his head, she is forced to choose between love and freedom.
Shear
United Kingdom (20min), Dir: Riyadh Haque
Yasmin, an impressionable South Asian teen, finds herself trapped between her strict, traditional family and the man she is in love with. One night, when Yasmin sneaks out to a party, she inadvertently starts a chain of events that changes her life forever.
Songbird
Canada (14min), Dir: Heather Hawthorn Doyle
A young married couple finally conceive their first child but when it ends in a heartbreaking miscarriage they discover that grieving their loss is much harder than expected.
Handscape
China (19min), Dir: Yiru Chen
Xia Qing, a boy who has been wearing Cochlear Implants due to hearing impairment, has a deep love for dancing. He gains so much joy just from copying Martha Graham’s hand gestures in a dance magazine. A kid with a precocious nature, he sometimes paints his pinky nail red just for that glimpse of beauty. Yet all these passionate pursuits are misunderstood and questioned by his single, deaf mother. Given the opportunity to audition for his favorite dance company once in a blue moon, he has no choice but to return to his body–He seeks his mother’s approval and longs to overcome this obscure self-identity crisis, through the silent language on his fingertips.
Snake Oil
United Kingdom (13min), Dir: Remy Archer
A wily street vendor flees London in search of the American dream promised by his late father, but he can’t find it anywhere. A whimsical no-dialogue adventure spanning 2 continents, greatly inspired by the films of Buster Keaton.
This block will play on Saturday 28th August at 10.30am (GMT+1). The block will play for approximately 80 minutes and be followed by a Q&A with any of the filmmakers who are in attendance. View our 2021 programme here.
Oxford Shorts 