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| World of Glory (1991). |
Some time has passed since I wrote here last, even longer time has past since the last Short Film Sunday. Recently I started a course on FutureLearn about filmmaking and there the course participants were encouraged to name their favourite short films as well as explore some more on the links they provided - Short of the Week, Filmsshort.com, etc. - and that reminded me of my blog and my Short Film Sundays, and even more, it encouraged me to write another post on the film that I saw on the latter link provided. So here it is, the 30th Short Film Sunday will present to you World of Glory (1991) directed by a Swedish director Roy Andersson.
The film starts with a simple static shot, that you can see in the above image, and from time to time one and the same man looks back at the camera. The film continues then with the man telling his life story while watching straight in the camera. The main protagonist tells the story in a Beckett like manner of calling out a list of the things and people from his life - this is my mother, this is where I sleep and so on and so on - in a bare voice, that lacks any emotions. It is hard to grasp the full meaning of the film, though it delivers the message that "Life is quite short, after all." The film's last shot and monologue ties in with the first static shot; and in some way it reveals the meaning of this quaint and unique story.
The short film will leave you pondering on it for a while, and I am sure that each will take something else from it. Let it sink in.
