Rob Munday

Tapping into a primal fear found in all of us – the fear that something bad will happen to someone we love – Dust is the tale of a 60-something loner stalking a young family on their way home from school. Essentially a one-trick pony, executed with great aplomb, Ben Ockrent & Jake Russell’s tense drama impresses with some strong performances and a simple, but surprising narrative.

Largely dialogue-free, Ockrent and Russell’s short relies on an actor with the experience and subtlety in performance to be able to make their predatory protagonist fearsome and unsettling without ever speaking a word. And they certainly pulled off somewhat of a coup in getting Golden Globe, BAFTA and Emmy award winning actor, Alan Rickman to play the role. Famous for his roles as Hans Gruber in Die Hard and the Sheriff of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, the performer leaves his trademark vocals on the bench for this role as he silently stalks his victims throughout the film’s 7-minute duration. Employing a blank, but steely stare and hunter-esque prowl, the actor provides Dust with the constant unsettling hum of tension it requires to suck its audience into the drama of the piece.

Written and directed by Ockrent & Russell, Dust feels at its most powerful when taken into context with the heightened state of unease present in modern-day society. In an age where never-ending news-reporting has us all too aware of the dangers present in every day life, on the corner of every street, this is a short that plays with the stereotypes that have been conditioned into us. Presenting us with the image of a solitary-man, following a young girl home from school, it appears at first as if the journey of this tale can only follow one path. Yet, just as it looks like the storyline will play-out exactly as expected, this directorial duo throw us a curveball that even the seasoned of hitters wouldn’t expect.