Starring: Nico Mirallegro, Nathalie Cox, Mariah Louca
Director: Lewis Coates
Running Time: 15 mins
Re•displacement is a British short about a man in therapy as he uncovers his memories and understanding of the past.
A striking film that cleverly plays on themes of consciousness and memory, Re•displacement is a captivating short, and one that’s both mind-bendingly strange, yet sharp enough to make for a riveting watch.
While it takes on complex ideas in an inventive way, Re•displacement is fortunately not as difficult to understand as the likes of feature sci-fi Primer. Instead, it takes an abstract but still captivating approach to picturing a journey into a man’s conscience, one that makes for a thought-provoking fifteen minutes.
From its ingenious use of physical space and imagery to represent the murky world of memory and thought, to its space-age score and sleek yet unsettling cinematography, Re•displacement really does capture the imagination, all the while slowly building complex philosophical and psychological drama.
That forms a gripping underbelly to what is a striking watch from the start, but on first watch, the film doesn’t quite manage to bring that drama to a head by the finish. Missing out on an intense snowball effect of ideas, Re•displacement isn’t as psychologically overwhelming as it perhaps could be on first viewing.
With repeat viewings, however, the film does open up, as you understand the complex route of its abstract narrative, and the way its central themes play into what you’re seeing on screen.
In that, Re•displacement isn’t a work of perfection – not hitting home on its main themes in the way it could – but it’s without doubt a gripping, striking and inventive work. With thought-provoking ideas bolstered by ingenious cinematic style, it’s certainly a captivating and memorable short.
