So over the weekend I got to go and see the anthology of short films called The ABC’s of Death. It is a collection of shorts charting the alphabet and using 26 different directors. They were given complete control over their word, which they were given free rein to choose. It was surprising as to the words they chose.
The collection was an eye-opener and odd. I love to shock in my stories and have sometimes wondered if I pushed the boundaries a little too far. Some of my stories are quite horrific in a gory sense and I do worry. No longer! After watching them I know I do not have to worry about the boundaries – I am nowhere near them. They are so far in the distance that I can barely catch sight of them on the horizon!
On an interesting note, one of the shorts is about a little plasticine boy and his fear of using the toilet. Now obviously it does not end well, but it was the only film that elicited an “oh no” response from the audience. And this audience was mostly male students, I was in the minority.
I was the same though. As a group the British shorts were weird, the American humorous and the Japanese strange and disturbing. They didn’t all fit into these broad categories but I did notice it. If you do get a chance to have a look then do go. But if you are at all squeamish or easily embarrassed it may not be the film for you. However, if you would like to see a number of different styles all looking at the same subject, then go for it. It’s an eye-opener!
Kate Murray - Cleaver 