This Sunday, I went to see Sundance film with my Rose Scholar fellow friends together. It was an interesting experience, because it’s my first time seeing short film in a cinema. Each films are featured in different special ideas and ways that they send their message across in a short 20~30 mins time. Some of them capture the momentum feelings; one described the short moment in daily life; some capture a short decision making time.

Due to the nature of short films, they have to be short, so there’s not much room for them to develop a convoluted plot or story that lead you through the developing of each characters life to their destiny. Instead, in short film, they captured a moment in life, normally not exceding a day or even half a day. I think it’s a very different genre of arts comparing to the 2 hours film that we normally see.

At first, I was really confused and feel uncomfortable when seeing these films, because like a microscope, short films magnified small moment in life that we not feeling well, or making a decision. For example, the 17 mins film Come Swim, described a person feeling drawn and thirsty back an forth. The vague technique in the description and the intense sound effect of water drinking sound, his breathing sound made my heart pound yet not clear what the film try to express, besides a depressing feeling and a relieve at last after the actor jump into the river and swim for a while. This film made me feel dizzy for a while due to the keep changing scene and uncomfort sound effect. Another film ‘night shift’ described a men working at a night club, and having a shift one day while he just got the devorcing note from his wife again. This film is very touching, because it showed us the emotion transition of the character, and know a different life.

It was a wonderful experience this week, and I really enjoyed the time appreciating a new genre of art.