Last night marked the first short film session of the Manchester Film Festival.
In just over an hour and half, film fanatics at Great Northern cinema found themselves transported to the streets of Paris, the white cliffs of Dover, a labour ward at Christmas and a confession booth.
These narratives certainly pulled no punches, and their important and emotional themes were delivered brilliantly given the short medium they found themselves told though.
The evening began with By My Side, a story of a wheelchair-bound Parisian desperately trying to find meaning following an abortion.
Through chair-high shots and raw conversation, the cinematography does an excellent job of portraying the struggles of the protagonist, played by Chiara Kahn.
Her unreliable love interest in the film provides pain and frustrations, yet like many romantic connections, hangs around with fleeting actions of promise.
The film that followed offered no safe space for festival attendees, but was certainly the best received film of the night.
Delivery, produced and directed by Ben Lankaster, sees real-life midwife Rosie Chappel play out her day job on the big screen as she navigates a relentless labour ward.
The short 25 minute period spent with Chappel reminds you that labour wards can provide joy in its truest form, but also deny this in the cruellest of fashions.
Speaking after the screenings, Lankaster said they aimed to shoot the scenes in one continuous shot in order to allow Chappel to feel as if she was really at work.
This is evident, and you are left in a state of limbo wondering whether this is simply a display of Chappel’s brilliant midwifery skills, or if she is equally as skilled at acting. It would be fair to assume the answer is the latter.
Viewers were then shown Do You See What I See, a 10 minute film by Alexandra Neary inspired by her father’s time at an all-boys Catholic school.
It showed a familiar tale of wrongdoings within the church, but its unique lens, the eyes of a child, gave it honesty and heart.
Teenage Love Forever, directed by Imogen Harrison, followed.
This voiced over, personal tale, shows an adult couple battling the inconsistencies that arise along the winding road of a relationship.
Its honest portrayal of the uncertainty of romance, and the fear of the alternative, being alone, is refreshing and somewhat comforting.
As they scramble for the warming embrace of teenage love, the film reminds you that this doesn’t last forever, but that might be okay.
Bluff was the penultimate showing of the evening, and featured the heart-breaking story of a toddler losing her sight.
Speaking after the showing, co-director Naomi Wright said the film tackled “the feeling of not wanting to cause trouble in the family and finding it hard to make clear what is happening to you.”
Wright insisted they wanted a visually impaired girl to play the role and young actor Kara Caldwell, from Glasgow, did a tremendous job at showing the struggle young children face in translating health issues.
Whilst Caldwell struggles with her vision, her single mother, played by Joanne Thomson, faces a frustrating battle in finding a doctor who can care for her child.
These battles lead the film to a climax which leaves a lasting mark on the viewer.
The final screening offered a lighter touch to its predecessors.
Mother Story, about the struggles filmmakers face when using real life stories, brought plenty of laughs from a film savvy audience many of them may be able to relate to.
The festival’s first collection of shorts was brilliant, and luckily there are many more instalments to come over the remainder of the week.
See the full schedule and ticket information here.
Featured image: Henry Durand
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