Rob Munday

Named after a Malay word describing a violent and uncontrolled rampage, it should come as no surprise that Balázs Turai’s Annecy-winning short Amok is something of an assault on the senses. A brightly coloured animated film following a heavily scarred man as he battles his inner demons after a car crash involving an evil Santa Claus gnome, Turai’s 12-minute short tackles relationship problems and the Jungian shadow to create a film that is thematically rich, visually distinctive and constantly surprising.

Speaking about his love of colour, following his Best Short Cristal win at Annecy in 2022, Turai recalls an anecdote about attending a graduation show where he became excited when a film opened on a bright neon pink screen, only to discover that it was actually the result of a projector error. It’s a funny story that reveals something of the director’s playful personality, but it also speaks to his appetite for more alternative and surreal approaches to animation.

Unsurprisingly, Amok fits that description perfectly, embracing a bold aesthetic to create an exciting and unpredictable viewing experience where its surreal nature perfectly mirrors the confused psychological state of its protagonist A festival favourite during the 2022/23 circuit, Amok ultimately feels like both a showcase for Turai’s filmmaking and a confirmation of his appetite for the unusual. Amok may be an assault on the senses, but it’s one that’s difficult to resist – and a fitting introduction to a filmmaker whose imagination clearly refuses to stay within the lines.