Ivan Kander
As open and self-aware about sex as we claim to be in today’s “woke” culture, the fact of the matter is that, most people, still tend to be prudes. We’re scared to talk about sex….scared to admit we like sex and want it. Even among trusted partners and in long-term relationships, being open about sex and pleasure can be a tough hurdle to cross.
Paola Makes a Wish from director Zhannat Alshanova is brilliant in its simplicity. Essentially taking place in one long, mundane shot, we focus on Paola as she listens in to her coworkers matter-of-factly discussing their sex lives. It’s girl talk, unfiltered. The casualness in which they discuss their own pleasure and what they like becomes the catalyst for Paola’s internal journey.
And, to be clear, this is very much an internal journey: despite being the titular character, Paola literally says nothing for the entire film. Yet, her motivations are quite clear, all conveyed via simple facial expressions. The film even manages to give us a full character arc via a bookend scene with another man, and does this, without ever having the protagonist utter a word. Despite the blue language that drives the short, it’s, ultimately, a very sweet and positive story – one about a woman coming to terms with her own wants and autonomy as a sexual being.
It’s also, on a visceral level, just a funny juxtaposition of tones: the mundanity of Paola’s work contrasted with such a filthy verbal soundtrack (I like to picture an older festival audience pre-COVID giggling uncomfortably in their seats). After all, there is an inherent comedy in presenting contrasts – a technique that this film really leans on to great effect.
Paola Makes A Wish was made at the international directing workshop organized by Locarno Film festival with mentorship of Béla Tarr. It went on to screen at Sundance, Guanajuato, and Leeds (in the “before” times when physical festivals were still a thing). Alshanova’s latest short History of Civilization is currently on its festival tour and the director is now working on developing two major feature projects.