Dolphin Boy
From the Archives
•
Short Films, Fantasy, 24-Oct-2025
A man finds a woman washed up on shore; when she reveals her identity, he goes to great lengths to become part of her world. “Dolphin Boy,” directed by Arielle Bordow and Tyler Zonies, is a lo-fi fantasy film—a snapshot of longing rendered with deadpan campiness and body-horror elements. While smoking on the beach in a trench coat, DB comes across a woman lying in the sand, passed out. He takes her back to his place and gets her cleaned up. Before long, they hit it off. She loves his self-proclaimed fucked-up eyes (bloodshot red), and he’s enamored by her as well, especially after she reveals her true self. Shot on Betacam and leaning into its raw idiosyncrasies, the film works because of its off-the-cuff style and the endearing presence of its two leads, played by Bordow and Zonies themselves. We previously featured Bordow with “Craigslist Roommate,” her free-spirited portrait of life in a college town, which made our list of favorite shorts from 2022. -KA. Director: Arielle Bordow and Tyler Zonies. DP: Sam Bianculli. Editor: Raven Dahlin. Original Score: Jack Tobias and Sam Pickard. HMU/SFX Help: Jane Serenska. Production Designer: Chase Mayo. Sound Design/Mix: Jonah Graber. Title Card and Poster: Jack Tobias. Digital SFX: Aman Singh.
Up Next in From the Archives
-
Oh Man Magdalena
A middle-aged woman runs out of things to talk about with her therapist. Ryan Wagner directs “Oh Man Magdelena,” a surreal, VHS look at a woman and her therapist who reach peculiar breakthroughs during an oddly ominous session. Magdalena peers out the blinds of her therapist’s office. The interio...
-
Hasim October
An Indian-American teenager is caught between a crush and an anthrax prank in the weeks following 9/11. “Hasim October,” by director Swetha Regunathan, is a portrait of youthful frustration at a chaotic moment in American history. On the day before her 15th birthday, Brinda and her friend are wa...
-
Shot on Tape - Conversation with Film...