How Do You Know When You’re in Love?

That’s the million dollar question – the ten million dollar question probably being what am I going to do about it?  However, for now let’s start with the first question.  The Atlantic went out on the streets of New York and asked its denizens to ponder that age old question.  Out of the mouths of babes, perhaps, come the most amusing but the wisdom of the older New Yorkers shine through (there’s a little cynicism, of course, thrown in for good measure).

Glasses: A Tale of First Love and Myopia

You never know when it is going to strike, particularly for the first time.  When love comes calling it can catch you unprepared, as in the case of this young man who falls for the girl behind the counter in his local patisserie.  Written and directed by Giuseppe Garau you may well see yourself in the protagonist when, in order to impress the object of his juvenile desires he abandons the one thing which might have helped him succeed.

Valentine’s Day a Disaster? This May Make You Feel Better

No cards or chocolates or roses or anything remotely valentiney? Never mind! Romance isn’t always everything that it’s cracked up to be.  Sometimes (to misquote the Pet Shop Boys) love might come quickly and you can’t stop falling. In Cupid by 23½ (filmmaker Daniel Harding's production company) two strangers inexplicably catch each other’s eye. However. sometimes, compatibility isn’t always guaranteed when cupid has a hand…

When the End of the World Becomes a Love Story

Although I am the first to revel in the gore-fest that is The Walking Dead, the end of the world does not necessarily have to be all about which body parts can splatted the most distance – and Eric Nichols’ short film The Survivors shows that the zombie apocalypse (or whatever disaster has befallen us this time!) can be an opener for a relationship to begin and blossom.  Shot amid the dazzling Colorado landscape, it’s a languid glimpse at how, when catastrophe comes calling, so can love.

Lichen

What is the chemistry that makes two people connect?  This rather lovely short film explores the idea that through chance and coincidence, infinitely small decisions can produce new life.  Through four vignettes we see a couple meet, fall in love, have children and.. well, it’s up to you to watch this.  Boy meets  girl this surely is, but with plenty of food for thought along the way.Lichen was directed by Kevin Lim of Honey Soda Films.

Plugin

In an automated city of the future power and light are generated through the connections between the organic male and female inhabitants who individually make up a fragment of the whole mechanism. 

When one male component finds himself outside of this perfect puzzle he realizes that his future lies with another male connection.

However, the powers that rule the city have other ideas. This unusual mix of a science fiction and a coming out tale, created by Sergio Di Bitetto at Vancouver Film School shows that while love comes in different forms it remains the same.

A Short Film About Love and Fate and Death

Do you know someone who just never seems to get a break?  Something hopeful appears on the horizon for them, you keep your fingers crossed and then – of course – hopes are dashed yet again.  Such a person is Tim (played by journalist, poet and it seems from this occasional actor Matthew Hedley Stoppard). After finally summoning up the courage to ask the girl of his dreams out on a date poor old Tim finds that the object of his affections doesn’t turn up after all. If this has happened to you then you know how devastating this can be.  There is no back-story but I suspect this has happened to Tim on more than one occasion...

Despite this rather glum premise, A Short Film About Love and Fate and Death, directed with panache by Jonathan Mills, is actually rather funny.  It also makes something of a statement about the modern British phenomenon of leaving a forest of flowers at the scene of each and every hapless individual’s demise. I blame that Princess Diana myself.

Logan’s Power

This short movie, written and directed by Mike Lamarra, reminds me of something that Jeremy Bentham, the founder of modern utilitarianism, once said: stretching his hand up to reach the stars, too often man forgets the flowers at his feet.  You could said this is true of Logan a twenty eight year old who lives with and works under his older brother, a massive comic book fan who, well, isn’t quite as emotionally mature as he might be at his age.

So, of course, there is the unobtainable Jean at work upon whom Logan has doted for a long time - a veritable car crash of emotions just waiting to happen.  One day he decides that the time is right: he has recently finished his costume for the next Comic-Con and decides to wear it to work to impress the distant, workaholic Jean in to a date.  His best friend and co-worker, Kat, tries to dissuade him, but his mind is made up: Logan sets off a chain of events which will change his life and those around him for ever – but is it for good too?

This very sweet and understated short film with strong central performances by Sketkh Williams and Krista Amigone has been doing the rounds at various film festivals where it has been very well received by audiences.  If you have ever looked in one direction for love while you should really have been looking another way entirely, this is for you.

Kontakt

If you are feeling a little melancholy at the moment then this may perhaps suit your mood.  Kontakt tells the story of a lonely electrical outlet. He has his uses but there is one thing he lacks in his life – and that is love.  Whether or not this is what he gets is another thing – you will have to watch this stop motion/ animated short by Florent Tarrieux to discover his fate.

Tarrieux is now based in California but has a background in snail farming – which may just be French irony or it could be true.  Either way he has a very groovy website which showcases a lot of his excellent other work.

White + Black = Red

Conflict is something that we see around us every day. Yet if one lesson we learn from the past is that conflict is perhaps inevitable then we can also see that reconciliation is also possible, if not inevitable. The story is about an argument between two opposite characters: one white and one black who, by the end of the film, learn how to respect and love each other.

It’s a simple tale but made in a rather complicated manner! It is entirely stop-motion animated on two female bodies, a pale one and a darker-skinned one. It was created, lovingly and laboriously, by Simone Giampaolo, who is a student at the National Centre for Computer Animation in Bournemouth (UK). Hats off to the extremely patient models, too, Sheela Clericetti and Sophie Hepp.

After the Riot, Peckham Builds a Love Wall

Image Credit Flickr User MobileDisco

One of the many areas in London hit by the recent riots was the slice of South East London which goes by the name of Peckham.  Over the years the place has become almost a byword for inner city problems in the UK and there is no doubt that the area has its issues.  Yet the real people of Peckham made their voices heard in the aftermath of the riot in a creative and thought provoking way.

Image Credit Flickr User Celie

Image Credit Flickr User MobileDisco

On the smashed and boarded up window of Poundland (for those of you out of the UK this is a chain of shops where nothing costs over a pound but you probably guessed that!) a few people began to stick notes explaining in a few words Why We Love Peckham.

Image Credit Flickr User Celie

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

It wasn't long before the wall became a riot - of color! By the evening the wall was covered in hundreds of messages of goodwill - a positive indication that Peckham will rise again.

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

Image Credit Flickr User Jmaclynn

The riots were something which shocked the nation – and the rest of the world.  This show of unity by Peckham’s diverse communities serves as a reminder that the people can, do and will stand united in the face of civil unrest and havoc created by a minority.

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

While many questions about the riots need to be answered this spontaneous act of public art by the real people of Peckham shows that for every rioter intent on destroying their own environment there are many more who will not allow this to happen.  Hats off to the people of Peckham!

Image Credit Flickr User Jake Tilson

A Short Love Story (in Stop Motion)

I have been meaning to post this up for an age because it is so wonderful, charming and extraordinarily well made.

A couple of pencil-outlined birds escape from a little girl´s drawing, leading us through the life of which she dreams. It was created by the amazingly talented Carlos Lascano.

If this has piqued your curiosity then you can find out more about how this beautiful animated short film was made by visiting Carlos Lascano’s website.

Blik

Do you remember your first love? It can be a difficult time, especially when the person you love is much older than you and does not have the first clue how profoundly and utterly you love her. This charming short by Polder Animation sees a young boy move to a new part of town. There he meets and falls in love. Yet so new are his feelings that he is never sure quite what to do with them.

The remarkable thing about this animated short is the decision taken by its makers to leave the protagonists faceless – and it is a testament to their skills both in animation and storytelling that it not only pays off but makes the complete whole something more special, more enigmatic than it otherwise would have been. I often dislike describing things as sweet - as it makes people expect something cloying and overdone but this is a beautifully sweet, understated and human piece of work.

Doctor Who - My Pile of Good Things

When might a TV show become a life saver? In the case of Jenny when things in life conspired against her and she was experiencing a life which, in her own words was less than fun.

Some friends suggested that she watched Doctor Who - that it might cheer her up.  For Jenny, the show was a revelation.  It reallly helped her through a bad patch in her life.

Perhaps it is best to allow Jenny to explain:

I've often thought why DW did this for me. Most people in my position would turn to family, friends or professional help, and I did all that. But there was one little thing missing: I needed something to actually be happy and excited about, instead of just coping with all the negative going on around me. I sometimes felt a little strange that a science-fiction TV show was what did it for me. However, Eleven's words in "Vincent and the Doctor" about adding to someone's pile of good things - paired with Amy's line in "The Beast Below" about someone so old and so kind not standing by and watching children cry - answered that question. I've never felt more grateful for a TV show in my life.

Her words really resonated with me.  Being lucky enough to have had the Doctor with me for all of my 45 years he has consistently cheered me up, given me wonderful memories and, not to be too over the top, been an excellent role model (well, apart from when he commits genocide and stuff, perhaps).

The video that Jenny has made, in homage to the Doctor that helped to make her feel good again, is full of some of the best bits of the show over the last five years.  It really does, when looking at the wonderful adventures of the Doctor and his companion, take some beating in terms of happy medicine.

Watch the video and read her words at the end.  I have to admit, they provoked a certain moistness around the eyes for me.

A really heartfelt thanks to Jenny for her openness and willingness to share.  I am sure that everyone who reads this - and is a fan of the show - will known exactly how she feels.