Sandbagger
Trending (month) • 10-Jul-2019
While dealing with sexism and mistreatment at work, Lee finds solace in her relationship with her best friend, Evelyn. One of the more off-the-wall selections we’ve featured of late, this short feature (42 minutes) by Mitch F. Anderson is perhaps most notable for a striking absence — an on-screen note informs before the film begins: all recorded dialogue was lost after filming. The long stretches of silence (there are captions), as it turns out, create an intriguing, haunting even, effect. Lee works at a bowling alley diner, where she’s forced to deal with cruel customers and a patronizing boss. After work, she spends time with Evelyn and their friendship is turning into something more. Coming to terms with the evolving relationship, she becomes fixated on a vivid dream she recently had which overlaps with a tradition in Argentina: after graduating from school, students take part in an an elaborate ceremony of body painting. “Sandbagger” doesn’t shy away from explicit nudity, and it takes an unwieldy, unconventional form. For its minimal plotting, 42 minutes may seem excessive, but the film beats to its own rhythm and logic, and it’s often transfixing. Without sound, it invites viewers to observe the frame in a different way. Director, Producer, Editor: Mitch F. Anderson. Cast: Lindsey Normington, Lindsay Waa, Kevin McCasland. Director of Photography: Nate Ritter. AD: Dale Jackson. Sound: Syd Martin & Nicole Stoner. Grip/AC: Matheson Allen. Production Assistant: Kat Mehrer.
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