Directors Notes (DN): 10 Essential Shorts from the NFTS
- Lydia Rui
- Apr 5, 2022
- 1 min read
Directors Notes came to our graduation showcases (Fiction, TV Entertainment, and Documentary) at the BFI Southbank and rounded up 10 of their favourite shorts with a kind write-up. They praised in particular the high quality of the production design this year, to which I can only agree whole-heartedly!
Here is what they said about 'Virile':
"Set in the context of a major world fertility crisis, the world of Bo, a young androgynous deckhand aboard an all-female research vessel, turns upside down when a castaway man appears. Lydia Rui’s film is a character piece that confronts the interlinking psychology of identity, masculinity and sexuality within her troubled protagonist. It’s an incredibly mature film and Rui’s plentiful experience as a filmmaker is clear with decisive and visual direction that gives every corner of the ship a tense and confrontational atmosphere."
Thank you, Directors Notes, and author James Maitre!
Creative film discussions like this are always inspiring because they show the hard work and imagination behind great storytelling. Reading these director notes reminded me of one stressful semester when I was balancing online classes, projects, and assignment deadlines all together. During that hectic time, I searched for pay someone to take my online exam because I felt overwhelmed trying to manage everything alone. That experience made me realize how intense academic pressure can become for students during busy semesters.