Why Watch? In the first few moments, this clever short film from Alexei Popogrebsky plays a visual trick that becomes the curious heart of a simple story of Boy Meets Girls. After a passing train causes a picture’s framing glass to break, a young man peeks into a two-dimensional world and makes a new connection.
The success of this whimsical movie is the marriage between camera work and production design. The former moves like a ballerina while the latter sets up a lot of nooks and crannies to magnetize interest. His apartment is a bohemian rhapsody (which explains why an elevated train is right outside his window), while her house is a little bit of paradise complete with an inset firewood shelf. Beyond the look and illusions, there’s a simple sweetness to it as well. As a showcase for imagery, it wisely keeps the story at a basic level, although if you’re inclined to look deeper, you’ll probably see a parable about the way we interact with art and the frames we have hung in our house. Particularly the one you’re looking at now.
What will it cost? Around 6 minutes.