Tuesday, September 10, 2013

"Noah" - A Short from TIFF 2013

Lately I have been trolling the internet for the latest news from the Toronto International Film Festival which is currently running from September 5th to the 15th.  I have just started in on the student films.  One in particular caught my eye.   The film is titled "Noah", brought to us from the University of Toronto, and the description is as follows:

"In a story that plays out entirely on a teenager's computer screen, Noah follows its eponymous protagonist as his relationship takes a rapid turn for the worse in this fascinating study of behaviour (and romance) in the digital age."

The description sums the film up fairly well, as all  17 minutes are nothing but screen grabs of Noah's computer screen and iPhone screen.  There are no other camera shots used!!  The film makers clear the hurdle of introducing our protagonist by showing us Noah through the use of Skype and Chatroulette (as he is displayed in the corner). This is the way we also meet Noah's girlfriend.  The cinematography for this movie comes from the way in which pans and zooms are done on the screen grabs.  This does a beautiful job of showing us where Noah is focusing his attentions and it also conveys his thoughts and emotions.  Much of Noah's character is also communicated through what he types, where he clicks, and his actions online.

This film does a beautiful job of showing what it is like to be a young person in the digital age.  We get a beautiful look at the true neurosis that Facebook and other social media can cause.  We also see the issues that come from a long distance relationship.  So much of our interaction is digital nowadays, and Noah does a spectacular job of pointing out some of the issues with that.  Even when Noah seems like he is going to meet a wonderful girl, he blows it because he can't resist using the internet to cheat the system.  While this film does an incredible job at what it is trying to achieve, I don't think it could have run much longer.  The 20 minute time format fit incredibly well for this piece and I don't believe this new format could have held my attention for any more time.  The writer composed a very cohesive story and told it in a fascinating way that paced well.  Congratulations to the University of Toronto and directors Walter Woodman and Patrick Cederberg!



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