Academy Award-winning short captures rawness of relationships in 14 minutes

The Mainichi

a day ago

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Finnish director Fabian Munsterhjelm's short film "Pantyhose" begins unassumingly as a couple prepares to leave home for an important gala, only for things to take a dramatic turn when the woman discovers a hole in her tights.
Shot as one scene with a runtime under 15 minutes, the film secured eligibility for nomination at next year's Academy Awards before taking the George Lucas Award, the top prize at Short Shorts Film Festival & Asia, one of the largest events of its kind in the region, at an award ceremony Wednesday in Tokyo.
"This is an amazing honor," Munsterhjelm said after the win, adding that he was humbled to receive an award named after the famed Star Wars creator.
The festival, founded by Japanese actor Tetsuya Bessho in 1999, this year selected films from 4,592 submissions from 108 countries and regions. Among its competitions, five were accredited for submission to the Oscars.
"Pantyhose" took the best international film award before going on to snag the top prize, while the best Japanese film went to director Ryotaro Nishi for "Upside-Down Genius," and best non-Japanese Asian film went to "The Burning Night" by Demon Wong of Hong Kong.
Meanwhile, best non-fiction film went to "Inside, The Valley Sings" by Nathan Fagan of Ireland, and best animation was awarded to "Solstice" by Scottish director Luke Angus.
In "Pantyhose," the torn garment becomes a catalyst that surfaces tensions in the relationship between characters Matti and Jonna. Munsterhjelm said the idea for the film was inspired by a personal experience.
Munsterhjelm approached Samppa Batal to co-write the film and act the role of Matti, as well as prominent Finnish actor Satu Tuuli Karhu, who played Jonna.
"We thought we were going to make a screwball comedy," Munsterhjelm said, adding that he and Batal realized they were creating a drama as they dove deeper into the writing process.
"I think in a drama there should always be some comedy -- and in comedy there should always be more serious moments -- because then it feels like a roller coaster ride," he said.
After handing Munsterhjelm the top award, Bessho said, "This is the very definition of what a short film is all about. It is a work of depth with which we can all relate."
Munsterhjelm said the win was meaningful for originating from such a personal story, thanking his girlfriend as the biggest reason the film existed.
In contrast to the short film format, "In feature films it feels like there are a lot of rules... how you tell a story, how long it is," Munsterhjelm said.
"But in short films, anything is possible."