Film February Part One

The 9th Edition of the Final Girl Berlin Film Festival, a film festival which showcases horror made by women*, has been on since last Wednesday and is ending tonight.

As usual, my go-to section in this festival is the short film category and I was able to put together for myself an online-presence mixed schedule in order to be able to watch as many shorts as possible, plus one feature film. The shorts were divided into the festival's stable categories of Tech, Family, Queer, Close to Home, Folk Horror, Midnight Movies and Body Horror. I'm not one hundred percent sure but I think there were some new categories this time around, namely Workplace, Eco Horror, le Petit Mort and Absurd and Surreal Horror. I had a blast as usual, and here are my highlights of this year's festival.

Workplace Horror  

Thread Tension 

Directed by Ruby Mastrodimos, UK, 2023

A really very English film - from the setting, to the costumes, to the dystopia depicted. We follow a group of women sweatshop workers some time around the 1980s. An epidemic is threatening their work day as the seamstresses totally unexpectedly experience seizure-like possessions during which their bodies convulse and cramp and they speak in tongues. Eerie.

Ride Baby Ride

Directed by Sofie Somoroff, US, 2023

While preparing this write-up I recognized the name of the director and realized that the same director-actress duo has done another movie, Love is a Fire, which was shown during last year's festival and was among my favorites of last year too. So, I guess I am officially a fan of this creative duo!

In Ride Baby Ride, we have a sort of Christine, as in Stephen King's book, but this car comes with a couple of gross previous owners and is a pervert trying to rape women. And gets what it deserves!

Hope Chest

Directed by Dycee Wildman & Jennifer Bonior, US, 2023  

Eve's homework to pen down her hopes and dreams for the future begins with the line “I hope the FBI agent who finds my body is predisposed to sadness.” I'm not going to lie, I cried.

Tech Horror

Mara

Directed by Catharina Schürenberg, US, 2023

Mara earns her bread as a cam girl, performing sexual acts her patreons want her to do online. When she gets her period during one of her sessions, the tone of her audience quickly turns from sensual and horny to outraged and shocked. So she gives them the full brutal treatment.

I really liked the way this short goes. Although period accidents in real life are usually (at least to me) a very embarrassing and humiliating experience, I like the playful idea of overcoming this shame, the normalizing of the cycle in fiction. The festival showed one more movie which does that, and that one is also among my favorites below.

Bowling 2 Eva

Directed by Aelfie, US, 2023

A suicidal girl sees a bowling ball from outer space talk to her and care for her as a side effect of the antidepressant medication Tranquilia. I loved everything about this short - the actress, the picture, the colors, the feeling, the humor, everything.

Family Horror

The Thaw

Directed by Sarah Wisner & Sean Temple, US, 2023

In the 19th century in New England, a young woman is tasked to prepare a drink for her old parents which will put them to sleep throughout the winter and allow them to survive with the few food reserves they have in times of scarcity. When they unexpectedly wake up too early, and act erratically, the prospect of surviving the winter does not look very likely anymore.

As a nice surprise the lead actress of this short was present at the festival and was, together with the production members of some of the other movies, on stage after the showing for a little Q&A.

Stump

Directed by Silva Kuusniemi, Finland, 2023

In a post-apocalyptic world, corporate leaders have turned into wild animals that are hunted in the forests and sold for their crimes against the environment. When one of the hunters, who stands out as particularly competent, recognizes one of the animals as someone close to her, it will not be easy for her to do her job professionally.

I loved the idea of this one and the setting was absolutely beautiful!

Absurd and Surreal Horror

FCK’N NUTS

Directed by Sam Fox, US, 2023

The title reflects the content perfectly - the story of Sandy, whose every boyfriend has left her after seeing her "unusual" parents, is fucking nuts in the truest sense of the word. 

All Is Lost (Todo esta perdido)

Written and directed by Carla Pereira & Juanfran Jacinto, Spain, 2022

How to describe the Pérez family? Odd, dysfunctional, gross? They're like nothing I have ever seen before, that's for sure.

Queer Horror

Pool Party

Written and directed by Ellie Stewart, Canada, 2022

Freya is trapped at her girlie friend's birthday party but plays along. There's hostility lurking among the partying girls though and there's no better way to find out the reason than an honest game of Truth or Dare.

Skin

Directed by Cyrus Gainer, Produced by Faoileán Cosgrove & Chris David, US, 2023

Honestly, it feels wrong to discuss Skin as a short film, because the universe it draws is so consummate and encompasses so weighty and important issues that it felt like a full-size feature film.

NYC today - the resting temperature is 140 degrees, it is a life threatening journey to even go and pick up your mail from your door. Under these already hellish circumstances Kai feels lonely and would like to find an intimate connection for which they use a new dating device which allows you to feel the touch of someone else.

Body Politics

Only Yourself to Blame

Directed by Noomi Yates, UK 2023

There are certain types of categories at the FGBFF which can deal with topics that can be somewhat difficult to face, like body horror, revenge horror or social ills/close to home would fall under those categories.

Only Yourself to Blame was partly really difficult to watch, as it features a girl during her walk home late at night and her resurfacing trauma. It is a scenario we all know, walking home late at night and paranoia settling in, much worse when you realize there actually is someone behind you.

Especially the choreographed scenes were nice to watch and looked very professional.

3PM Thursdays – Denial of the Cycle

Written and directed by Michele Kaye, Canada, 2023

This is the second film tackling the taboo surrounding the menstrual cycle. An exotic dancer performs her dance for a group of American soldiers in a completely white outfit when she suddenly gets her period. After an initial moment of shock and reactions of disgust and outrage from her audience, she decides to make the best of it and goes full-on gore. Much to the bemusement of her watchers who, no joke, start mutilating themselves.

Sigh... I so loved watching this. 

Eco Horror

Out of Plastic

Directed by Maxfield Biggs, Written by Tehya Jennett & Maxfield Biggs, US, 2023

An engineer obsessed with microplastics and conducting work on the subject even in their own bathtub is visited by an unlucky friend.

This austere, black and white picture reverses the positions of consumer and producer, presents an ingenious concept instead of an elaborate execution, and ends on a quite unsettling note.

A nice and cozy indie work!

Abnormal Prime Time

Directed by Kirin Sinn, South Korea, 2023

A scenario which may become reality all too easily in our day and age - due to global warming humanity has decided to switch its day-night rhythm: it is now forbidden to leave the house on daytime, it is expected you sleep at day, and go to work at night.

In-Kyung works from home on daytime and one day gets a phone call from her sister telling her to come out at midday when everyone is sleeping.

Midnight Movies

CHOMP

Directed by Suki-Rose & Cricket Arrison, US, 2023

Crazy. Basically, this is the story of an assistant at a news studio eating people with her new set of teeth. I have nothing to say about this film. It's insane and I loved watching it.

Through the Meat Grinder

Directed by Abby Brenker & Sarah Quincy, US, 2023

Also crazy. A house wife unable to accept conventional gender roles in her marriage, is caught up in her meat grinder, turns into Cthulhu and starts eating her husband. Speechless, really.

Folk Horror

The Folk Horror category was this year my winner category - every single film here was absolutely worthwhile, meaningful, well done and interesting. Even though I'm grateful for every short film shown in this festival, I'm especially fond of films from countries I don't hear much from and Folk Horror was able to offer me that diversity.

After the showing the makers of The Pencil, Days of Spring and Heirlooms came on stage and talked about the production processes of their respective movies.

The Pencil

Directed by Thomas Calvin Schultz, Written by Madina Baimakhanova & Thomas Calbin Schutz, Kazakhstan, 2023

A financially struggling artist discovers that when using an ancient writing device, she can turn her pictures into reality. But just as she decided to use it for her advantage, she must discover that this sort of power needs to be used carefully.

Mosquito Lady

Directed by Kristine Gerolaga, US, 2023

A Filipino legend has it that Mosquito Lady will suck your child out of your pregnant belly if you're not careful. That's just what a teenage girl, who finds herself unwantedly pregnant in today's USA, needs. But it's rather what she thinks she needs and not really as easy as that.

Days of Spring

Written and directed by Arianne Hinz, The Netherlands, 2023

During some spring ritual these innocent-looking little girls perform their rituals which gradually gain in intensity and brutality.

Heirlooms

Directed by Devina Sofiyanti, Indonesia, 2023

A young woman tries to escape the scary ghosts out in the world but gets caught up in the scariest of all fates - married life.

Close to Home

I Could Just Die, And That Would Be Alright

Directed by A.K. Espada, US, 2023

A woman who tries to end her life by offering herself to a sort of cryptid monster ends up undead. Her husband offers support in unexpected ways.

Doing this category justice, this title hit close to home and was very touching in many ways, despite the underlying humor. 

The Monster Inside My Head

 

 

Directed by Maude Michaud, Canada, 2023

Another touching work depicting a woman with compulsive behavior unable to dispel the monster in her head and the frustration in which her life situation results.

So yeah, a lot of moving themes, a lot of really hardcore films and a lot of humor too - another Final Girls Berlin Film Festival comes to an end. This year's program was sheer amazing, wasn't it? Don't forget to visit their site and maybe even support their patreon so they can continue bringing us amazing stuff!