Brendan Jesus
What do sexual assaulter perpetrators and two kids who don’t want to leave their hometown have in common? Wrath! The second block of short film programming from the Final Girls Berlin Film Festival is wrath, and oh jeez, is there some wrath up in here! While this may be the shortest category out of all, containing three short films, there is not an ounce of disappointment to be found here. One of the interesting things about a festival like this and the inclusivity of it is being able to see three different films taking place in three very different and distinct locations. The ability to experience cinema like this is astounding and something that mainstream audiences may not go out of their way to do—sucks to be them. These three short films make this category one of the most standout categories of the festival.
Dana, written and directed by Lucia Forner Segara
I’m not a personal fan of the r*pe/revenge subgenre, but that’s not what this is. For the most part. Dana (Thais Blume) gets assaulted on her way home from drinks with a friend, which leads her to be a vigilante, going after men committing sexual assaults around her city. The best part is the Zoro-esque insignia she leaves on the people she goes after. The whole thing just radiates badass energy. What’s funny is the town doesn’t really care. There is someone bettering the streets, and they are happy about it!
Segara does an excellent job with the direction of this piece, making it feel almost like a modern looking grindhouse film. Thais Blume also does an excellent job with her character to completely embody the role. This is a short that definitely deserves a feature. Movies like this portray a message and do it in a fun way. #DanaMovement
Menarca, written by Lillah Halla and Libia Perez, directed by Lillah Halla
What a short film. This was nuts. There is was so much to unpack in such a short time. A little girl Nanã (Amanda Yamamoto) must learn to grow up far before she needs to when the local fishermen of this village take advantage of the women around it. It becomes clear from the second José (Dinho Lima Flor) comes back to shore that he has either done some unsavory things to her or has alluded to doing them. There’s a quiet but powerful moment when she protects herself as he approaches the shore, creating a chilling effect. In their most recent discovery, they find a creature that’s a mix between a piranha and a human, with teeth in a place usually associated with female anatomy. José tries to “find out what’s down there” and gets a finger bitten off. That is the catalyst for all of what’s to come.
There are some excellent moments of horror throughout, and there is also a deep dramatic film at the heart of it. It’s a story about a young girl who realizes right from wrong and wants to help someone that is in a position that is similar to her own. José’s thought process through this whole thing is, basically, if he can’t have sex with it, why bother keeping the creature around? The whole story is underlined by the beautiful cinematography that perfectly meshes with Halla’s direction.
When doing research on this short film, one of the things I found out—pardon the ignorance—is that Menarca is derived from the word menarche, which refers to the first time someone menstruates. Knowing this adds a whole new level to this film and makes it just so much more poignant than it already was. This is a truly remarkable short film, and it deserves every bit of praise for what it was able to accomplish in its runtime.
Massacre, written by Pierre Cazeaux, directed by Maïté Sonnet
From a simple ominous opening shot of seaweed to the final tense moments of elation, Massacre takes a different approach to horror—the financial side. What would you do if you were being moved from the only home you ever really knew? Would you take it on the chin and sit idly by? Or would you…[spoiler for the end of the short redacted]? While it may be hard to show some sympathy based on the extremes these two sisters go to with their actions, there is something to be said about the working class and the cost of living. Their mother works as a cleaning lady, and they use this as an opportunity to spend time in these fancy houses that they would never be able to afford. There is a real duality to it.
The commentary on financial struggles really comes to light when the two girls run into their crush, who is their own age but from a wealthy family, and he refers to them as the housekeeper’s daughters. It’s a sharp line that really shows how unthinking and cruel kids can be. Set aside the financial aspects of this short, the real antagonist is the invasive seaweed that requires a special cleaning suit and facemask. While we don’t really get a full glimpse into what the seaweed is, what it really does, and where it came from, it definitely adds to the atmosphere of it all. We don’t need to know the backstory behind it all because we are given the perfect context clues that spell out what it could do to someone.
The camera work is stellar, which is definitely helped by the absolutely beautiful scenery of the island. I can tell you one thing: I wouldn’t want to leave that island…I mean sans the whole seaweed issue. The ending is bittersweet, making us feel bad for the sisters while also feeling bad about what the sisters did. Overall, Massacre lives up to its name.
