Put on the short pants its time to go to school!

Every once in a great while I am reminded exactly why it is I choose to write about film in the first place. Last night, Killingboxx Webmaster Ken dropped an innocuous black DVD case in my lap and told me it had arrived in the mail, submitted for review. Looking at the case I wondered just what it was that I was about to look at. It was from a group called Heavy B Productions and it contained the short films of German filmmaker Boris Schaarschmidt. Having a soft spot for shorts, I popped it right in the machine. The DVD consisted of six films, all shorts, all by Mr. Schaarschmidt.
 

Starting with 1916, written by Gavyn Powers and starring Braden Wright, I was immediately struck by the confidence obvious in every frame of Schaarschmidt's work. Set on the Western front in the trenches of World War I, 1916 is the tale of a French soldier that has lost his nerve and finds himself on the verge of execution for refusing a directive from his commanding officer. Narrowly escaping this fate he finds himself trapped, with only the dead for company, including the lifeless body of his own brother with whom he begins a one sided conversation. As he talks about home, a German soldier invades the trench and he finds himself once again in the midst of war. This short was responsible for Schaarschmidt winning the Pat Hitchcock O'Connell scholarship that brought him to America to study film at the American Film Institute.

Next up was the quiet and affecting Green, starring John D. Gowans as "Walter", the groundskeeper for a school stadium. Walter has nothing save the grass that grows on the athletic field. Caring for it as he would a child, he nurtures it and protects it like family. It is all he has, when "Coach" (John Hayden) announces he will be starting practices in the morning Walter becomes very upset and tries to explain to him that the grass is simply not ready to be trod upon. Ignoring Walter's plea, the practice proceeds and Walters beloved grass is trampled by the player's cleats. Feeling he has no other recourse, Walter must take drastic action to prevent further abuse. Veteran television actor John D. Gowans masterfully brings Walter to life and infuses the character with a quiet dignity that very effectively is able to evoke sympathy for Walter's plight.

Spent, written by Angela Perkins and Phyllis Toben is the tale of a Real Estate agent (Tracey Costello) whose uncontrollable shopping has brought her to the verge of destruction. Her credit is gone and an embarrassing incident at one of the homes she shows has left her jobless and living in her car. All her credit cards have done nothing for her save to leave her penniless and powerless. Waking up one morning, she finds herself in the same position as any other homeless person. Schaarschmidt's exemplary direction in conjunction with star Tracey Costello's considerable acting chops take Perkins and Toben's powerhouse piece of social commentary and drive it home in a matter of minutes!

Nassrasur (Wet Shave), is a surprising little thriller starring Bob Franco as "Herr Franken", the proprietor of a hair salon. Herr Franken is having a bad night, just as he is closing shop for the day he finds himself confronted by a desperate character who demands to be serviced. As this black and white modern noir story unfolds, the audience slowly learns that there is much more happening in Herr Franken's salon than viewers are initially led to believe. Very brief and diabolically clever Nassrasur is sure to please any fan of short film as it quickly pulls you in and tells a tale much larger than its ten minute runtime. Schaarschmidt's ability to produce this much tension in such a diminutive period indicates talent far beyond his years.

Return to Sender written by Leif Lindhjem is a heartrending tale about every parent's worst nightmare, the death of a child. Starring Tracy Coogan and Chet Grissom as "Angela and Simon Gracie", this short ably demonstrates both Schaarschmidt's range as a director and Coogan and Grissom's range as actors. As Angela struggles with losing her little girl, she also tries to come to grips with the fact that she was driving the car when "Melanie" (Savannah McReynolds) died. Torn by this grief a palatable wedge is driven between Angela and Simon. Simon is out of work and has little desire to return, his last moments with his daughter were spent fighting and this guilt coupled with his unemployment have left him in a near catatonic state of despair. At the height of his malaise, he lands a job in a dead letter office where he is required to read others mail and try to return it. Coogan and Grissom vividly bring life to a story that easily could have mired in self-pity, but in conjunction with Schaarschmidt's sharp direction, instead conclude Lindhjem's story with a life-affirming message regarding the nature of grief.

Rounding out this impressive collection is the psychological thriller Projektionen. This one delivers a degree of suspense one would expect from journeyman filmmakers with a lot more experience. Schaarschmidt proves he can ratchet up the tension with the best in this story about a woman who upon returning home from vacation becomes spooked when a man she doesn't know keeps turning up in all her snapshots. As her paranoia builds Schaarschmidt brilliantly compresses "Astrid's"(Sabine Postel) world into a dangerous microcosm that may or may not be of her own doing. Creating a Polanski like air of dread Schaarschmidt begins removing all of Astrid's safety nets until she finds herself alone in her house with only the darkness. This expertly crafted thriller is a tantalizing insight into the mind of a filmmaker I have no doubt is going to produce some incredible films when given the chance.

I am hard pressed to find anything negative to say about this collection at all. Schaarschmidt is a talented director; he picks his projects with a great deal of consideration for story and follows this with careful and confident composition of shots. His productions feature stand out performances from gifted actors of all ages, and the material whether written by him or adapted from stories by others is succinct and beautifully nuanced. It sure sounds like I am gushing but as I said; I cannot find any weakness here!

If you like what you have read, visit: http://www.borisschaarschmidt.com to learn more about this impressive director!