In this month’s Screening Room, Hanako from the Show Me Shorts team shares three short films that play with our expectations about interactions in public spaces. There’s one astounding experimental feat of precision, one unexpected play on words, and another fast-paced watch. Spanning 30 years, from 1980 to 2010, each of these films present unique interpretations of how we act when out in public.
Though the link between Tango (1980), Schwarzfahrer (Black Rider) (1993), and Surface (2010) can’t be narrowed down to their technical aspects, each will surprise and challenge your perceptions of public behaviour. They might be made in separate decades but by viewing them collectively each film reveals more about the others.
‘Tango’ by Zbigniew Rybczyński, 1980
“Tango” by Zbigniew Rybczyński, 1980 from Tito Molina Faceblog videos on Vimeo.
Tango is a hypnotic experimental short from director Zbigniew Rybczyński. It may just be one simple shot but Rybczyński’s complicated and flawless choreography meant the film took an entire year to shoot.
The performance qualities of the actors are reminiscent of professionals on a stage; effortless routines that are all at once instinctual and gestural, yet formulaic and controlled. While there is a lot of domestic activity, this film is more representative of public behaviour – such as the avoiding of others while weaving through a crowd.
Tango was the first Polish film to win an Academy Award in 1983 and what happened to Rybczyński at Oscar ceremony is stranger than fiction. After winning the award he stepped out of the auditorium to smoke, but on his return the security guard wouldn’t let the scruffy director back in. Rybczyński was outraged and in limited Polish reportedly yelled, “American pig, I have Oscar!” and soon enough the newly minted Oscar-winning director was in jail for the night.
‘Schwarzfahrer (Black Rider)’ by Pepe Danquart, 1993
Ever had an uncomfortable bus ride? Looked around at fellow passengers while someone makes a scene? We’ve all been there and Pepe Danquart gets you squirming in your seat as if you were on the tram itself. And what a quirky tram load. Danquart creates rounded and relatable characters with striking close ups and minimal dialogue.
Schwarzfahrer took home the Oscar in ’93 and literally translates to “black rider”, a nod to the prejudices tackled in the film. “Schwarzfahrer” is also slang for fare-dodger, creating another play on words and foreshadowing the twists and turns of this compelling short.
Like Tango, but with dialogue, Schwarzfarher is a fascinating look at the act of avoidance within a public space, aka the ‘bystander effect.’ With stunning camerawork and a touch of German humour, Danquart will surprise your expectations of public behaviour.
‘Surface’ by Varathit Uthaisri (2010)
SURFACE : A film from underneath from TU+ on Vimeo.
Like Tango, Surface is another experimental piece without dialogue that has a lot of fun playing with your sense of perspective. Filmmaker Varathit Uthaisri obviously has a nose for design, and your eyes and ears will be delighted by this unexpected look up at life from just below the surface.
Uthaisri’s visual feast evokes the hectic pace of contemporary society as we observe familiar gestures and behaviours (both normal and taboo) of people in public from an utterly original voyeuristic viewpoint. From drips to drummers to dinner, the soundscape is intoxicating.
While Tango has its calculated rhythm, and Schwarzfahrer its metaphorical forward momentum, Surface has an increasingly accelerated and frantic pace that will leave you breathless. You’ll be taking a second look (and listen) that’s for sure.
Collectively, these three films draw upon our own knowledge of public spaces and how people behave in them – then completely surprise our expectations and perceptions. Indeed, we become voyeurs of the public, and we realise that this is not unfamiliar territory.
