Who doesn’t love a sad movie? How about several of them in a row?
New film series Cruel Summer will screen ten short films that feature “the dark side of summer” on Saturday night at thejamjar in Dubai. The event is open to the public and free of charge.
The titles cover the gamut of loss, loneliness, heartbreak and horror. They have been curated by UAE-based arts and culture blogger Hind Mezaina (aka The Culturist).
The programme starts with Ice Cream, directed by Becky Mountain, about a child’s futile attempts to eat ice cream. I Love Summer, directed by Kaiya Chang, follows a short-tempered man and his girlfriend on a hot day. Bottle, directed by Kirsten Lepore, is a stop-motion short about communication through objects in a bottle.
Last Summer, directed by Oliver Williams, follows a summer journey of two estranged friends. The Beach House, directed by Richard Standen and Tom Stanley, tells the story of River, the sole hearing child in a deaf family. The Tent, directed by Robbie Fatt, follows a teenager who discovers his camping tent has the power to teleport — amongst other things.
Francis, directed by Richard Hickey, is an animation about a boy growing up in the suburbs of Chicago, and a girl called Francis Brandywine. Dead Man’s Lake, directed by Ben Franklin, is about three campers who get more than they bargained for at a private lakeside hideaway.
Night Swim, directed by Rod Blackhurst and Bryce James McGuire, is about a woman who swims after dark while something watches her. Alone Time, directed by Rod Blackhurst, follows a stressed New Yorker who impulsively retreats to a solitary lake.
If that’s not enough, the event also promises “ice cream, summer drinks and sad songs”.
Doors will open at 7pm. Screenings kick off at 7.30pm.
