Film is like a beautiful utopian creature inviting us to a brighter world. Directed by Mariia Solodiankina, the R&A Shorts trailer Blossoming depicts the life changing effect a film can have on its viewer just when life is at its lowest.
ART AND ANARCHY
The surreal language and set design of Sergei Parajanov’s The Color of Pomegranates and the vibrant colors and floral aesthetic of Agnès Varda’s Le Bonheur have always been an inspiration in the directors creative journey, and this trailer is no exception.
Solodiankina says the film “underscores the beauty and fragile interconnectedness of our world, reminding us of the profound impact that even the simplest moments can have on our lives.”
In the center of the film lays sustainability, the mesmerizing diversity of experiences that art can unveil as well as love and anarchy. To Solodiankina, anarchy means absolute freedom and the unraveling of conventionalities.
“Anarchy is a bold exploration of uncharted territories to pave the way for novel ideas and perspectives to flourish. In a way, even making a choice toward the lavish flowering environment and reusing second-hand materials in a country of white walls is an act of challenging the existing norms.”
THE ANGEL OF CINEMA
Riikka lays in desperate darkness when the embodiment of love and light, Fereshte, dressed in flowers, enchants her into the kaleidoscopic world of film. Fereshte’s world is ruled by acceptance, vulnerability and harmony. Fereshte represents rethinking, growth and hope, which film can at its best provide.
This year’s Love & Anarchy, including the Shorts trailer, emphasizes the transcendental power of film, that mystical angel of cinema who reaches out to its viewer and invites them to experience something eye-opening.
Films possess the remarkable ability to inspire self-discovery, offering insights and emotions that can lead to personal awakening and growth, allowing individuals to flourish like a blossoming flower and experience transformation.
MOVEMENT, GROWTH, BLOSSOMING
The impressive choreography of movement and stillness in the film is inspired by Japanese tradition and Akira Kurosawa‘s film Dreams. The combination of minimalism and dramatic qualities is common in Japanese theater and also very suitable for Solodiankinas film. Solodiankina says they wanted to give space to the movement, but also emphasize the pauses that hold most of the tension.
With the choreography of movement, sound, set design and costume design, the film forms a cohesive story about both personal and societal change and growth. Even in the darkest of times there is still hope, and it can often be found in films.
Solodiankina says: “Films possess the remarkable ability to inspire self-discovery, offering insights and emotions that can lead to personal awakening and growth, allowing individuals to flourish like a blossoming flower and experience transformation.”
Read the news on the R&A Shorts here!
text: Mari Valtonen
