DEEPER THAN YESTERDAY
Ariel Kleiman 2010
This twenty-minute short follows protagonist Oleg (Albert Goikhman) as he tries to keep his sanity while confined to a Russian submarine for three months with nothing but men for company. The sense of confinement is accentuated with the shaky camera work and tight framing, while displays of nakedness and aggression emphasise the men’s masculinity and bravado. It is obvious the men are lacking a woman’s gentle and calm presence as they try to maintain their humanism. Oleg catches a colleague masturbating over an old tattered picture of his partner. When caught, he brutally beats him. It is evident that she is the one keeping him prudent, whilst being surrounded by men who are slowly turning into savages. The men believe they have hit the jackpot when they spot the body of a woman in the sea. Once retrieved, they are ecstatic, start drinking vodka and begin to laugh and joke while touching her leg sexually. When no one is looking, Oleg submerges her back into the water, protecting the men’s dignity while keeping his conscience in check. The film offers a stark appraisal of a world without women.
Thomas Brint • 44 Diegesis: CUT TO [conflict]