A short art film from Belgium. It just a few short minutes, it embodies every cliche you can imagine about French-language films.
- A topless woman walking mindlessly through a field? Check!
- Nothing at all happening while people light up a smoke and stare wordlessly through a window into the middle distance? Check!
One earns a failing grade in French film school if the senior film fails to include somebody smoking a butt while staring out of a window wordlessly for 15%-25% of the film.
In Swedish film school, the time requirement increases, and the unfocused staring can be as high as 100%, but (1) no smoking; (2) the window is optional – staring at a wall or an empty crib will suffice; and (3) it is not wordless – the actors are allowed to repeat a word over and over again to emphasize the emptiness of existence. Some possible word choices: “mother,” “winter,” “death” and “herring.”
Another difference is that the French school requires enough lighting to see the sadness, ennui or longing in the actor’s eyes. The Swedish school allows the scene to be in near darkness. Since Swedish performers are always acting sad and bored, there is no need for the clarification of facial expressions. It’s just assumed.
Just a jpg not a video.
OOPS!
Got it fixed.