Short of the Week

Uerra

It’s the summer of 1946, but for some Italians the war still isn’t over.

Fresh from garnering the top award at the Manhattan Shorts film festival is Uerra—a poetic look at family life in southern Italy after the fall of the fascism.

Manhattan Shorts, if you’re not aware, is an interesting festival in that it simultaneously screens a select program of international films at hundreds of venues all over the world. Places like Europe, Australia, Africa, even Alaska! The viewers voted on their favorite and selected Uerra. Good choice. The film has very rich characters for a short film with an excellent job done on acting.

This is Paolo Sassanelli’s first time directing a short film, coming himself from the world of acting. Manhattan Shorts has a good interview with him about Uerra. Here’s a snippet:

What is the message you want people to take from your film?

That there is great poetry in the world and you can find a poem in your life as well. And it does not matter whether you can’t read or write. There is poetry in everyday life. That’s what I try to say with my film. This is for my grandfather.

UPDATE: No longer available.
 

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hand-picked by
Andrew makes no attempt to hide his love for the magic art of animation. He appreciates compelling visuals but never forgets that in this modern age of storytelling, a strong story always reigns supreme. You can see his work at andrewsallen.com or his latest film The Thomas Beale Cipher.
  • http://www.thomasbealecipher.com Andrew S Allen

    This short reminds me of another short, The Game, that screened last month at NYC Shorts. It has a similar Italian childhood nostalgia feel with raw emotions on display.

  • http://norwichcinema.org Deana Eager Cosentino

    I saw this at Manhattan Short FF. I voted for “Watching” which came in second. Uerra was by far my second choice. Beautiful film with colorful characters and strong performances.

  • Jason Sondhi

    I’m kicking myself for missing Manhattan,it was playing close to me, I just missed hearing about it until I read the Press Release announcing the winners. Kind of embarrassing since I try to stay on top of these things…