Magnesium

http://www.shortoftheweek.com/2013/05/28/magnesium/

Directed by Sam De Jong

This small film about a young girl who is dedicated to get to the meet of her life in her gymnastics career has to also deal with a personal problem of ending a 10 week pregnancy.

The story is told beautifully and uniquely, because the director has filmed close up camera shots of Isabel through the whole video and this helps to convey to the viewer that the story is personal and it helps you to connect with Isabel and understand how she responds to others around her with the secret she carries. The fact the video has subtitles does not take away from what it is trying to tell us. The sound effects are natural and mostly seem diegetic and this makes the mood of the story more serious.

‘’While a personal portrait of a driven individual, it is impossible not see the film as a commentary on the world in which it inhabits, where incredibly young girls sacrifice their bodies to competition. There are elements of body horror as the very natural processes of pregnancy take on a sinister feel in the face of Isabel’s mission to excel. The fearfulness and excitement of having a baby are subsumed in deference to the art in which she sacrifices so much else.’’ Jason Sondhi

The camera's shakiness and quick panning shots help to add energy to the scenes, it keeps the viewer paced with what is going on. I found that the close up facial shots were constant through the film,it still allowed you to see the other characters at a glance. The different angles helped to make the storyline work. I think this is a good film to watch if I wanted tips on how to get a storyline across well and how I would want to draw my audience in so they understand what is being expressed.