I don't know why I don't watch more short films. The Criterion Channel offers a wealth of them, but for some reason I don't go out of my way to watch them. Part of this might relate to availability, but the Criterion Channel helps solve that problem. Maybe, and this shows how dumb I am, I think of them as somehow "lesser" than a full length feature. Now, following that logic, I should never read short stories and only read full length novels (including coming up with some numerical boundary line of page numbers). Obviously, this is all stupid. Just as last year's effort to read things I don't normally read led me to some very interesting authors, but also made me rethink why I read certain writers and don't read others, this year's emphasis on film is both leading me to new directors but also making me rethink how I view film. Just as sometimes a short story is the best way to tell a story, as compared to a lengthy novel, then some times a short film is the best way to tell a fascinating story. Plus, I'm introduced to directors I didn't know about - and, it's going to put new directors, still honing their craft, on my radar. Anyway, one of my goals for the rest of the year is to watch more short films. With all of that in mind, last night I watched Story Chen's The Water Murmurs. As one might expect from a short feature, the story is more evocative as compared to definitive, and thus arguably more powerful and memorable since the audience is forced/allowed to "complete" the story in our minds. A young woman, Nian (Annabel Yao), visits her hometown, which is soon going to be underwater because of a mysterious asteroid collision. However, it's really much more a story about memory and loss than any sort of science fiction tale. It reminds me, sort of, of Jia Zhangke's Still Life, with a little Gi Ban thrown in. Story Chen received well-deserved recognition at Cannes for this effort. Definitely recommended.
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