Stories set in that difficult period of adolescence are rife in the world of cinema. As puberty hits and the body starts to change, this awkward time in a young teenager’s life is fertile ground for filmmakers wishing to capture this tricky transition on-screen. One such teenager experiencing unexpected alterations to his anatomy is 13-year-old Sam, the central character in Alex Winckler’s school-set short Tits.

Though the scenario might feel familiar, the change Sam is undergoing certainly isn’t. As the title of the short suggests – this teenage boy is growing breasts!

With this set-up it would have been easy for Tits to descend into the realms of cringeworthy comedy, but it’s to the directors’ credit, along with writer Duncan Barrett, that instead what we’re presented with is an empathetic portrayal of adolescence.

School at that age can be awkward enough with swimming lessons and communal showers, but with Sam’s unusual transformation, this tricky time in a teenager’s life is cleverly magnified with his difficult-to-hide physical change.

Avoiding the obvious routes (bullying, depression) the story could have taken, the unexpected direction Tits takes in its final-third, combined with its open-ended conclusion (underscored by a stripped-back piano rendition of Radiohead’s Creep), means Winckler’s 16-minute short leaves quite a profound impression with its resolution.

And in the final shot, as the camera settles on Sam’s face and we the viewers gently recite the poignant lyrics (if you know them!) of Radiohead’s debut single in our head, we’re left with the realisation that being different isn’t a bad thing.

A graduate from Columbia University in New York (his grad film Ralph was nominated for a BAFTA in 2009), along with continuing to work in short film, Winckler has also directed on several British TV programmes. You can follow his work on the website below.