Short films, as opposed to
feature-length cinema, are almost always ‘high-concept’, i.e. possible to sum
up as an idea in a single sentence. For
example, what would it be like to wake up over and over again on the same day
(Groundhog Day)? Or what if machines had enslaved mankind without us knowing
(The Matrix)? Due to their length and
budgets, short films usually use a high-concept idea and explore it in a fun and
simple way.
Noah uses a high-concept style to tell a
story: How would a relationship
breakdown look from the point-of-view of a computer user?
The film is told entirely through
screenshots of Apple software, Facebook, Skype and Chat Roulette and explores
the relationships people have with these products, as they maintain the
relationships they have with real people…
Noah is idly browsing porn sites and
Wikipedia as he lazily video-calls his girlfriend Amy, who is concerned about
their relationship changing as they leave for college. When the call is interrupted he freaks out
and thinks that she is breaking up with him, so he logs into her Facebook
account in order to check her messages and interactions with other guys. It then shows the aftermath of his paranoia
If you can accept that the
cinematography of the film is simply watching someone browse Facebook, then the
narrative and the message of the film is pure zeitgeist, in a way that no other
film I have ever seen has captured a moment in time so beautifully (mid-2012;
chat roulette has already disappeared from the cultural conversation). The film manages to be distanced and voyeuristic
and yet intimate, funny and awkward, but not judgmental. Ultimately this captures how young people
interact online more than any teen blockbuster can get close to.
It is the perfect video to go viral
online and I hope it gets seen by as many people as possible whilst it still
feels fresh, although I also think that it will serve as a snapshot (snapchat?)
into online reality for future virtual historians.
Noah is showing at the Bath Film Festival on December 1st 2013
Nice Blog Post !
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