Borislav

Borislav is a great short film produced by six students from Denmark-based The Animation Workshop. It features two characters, a high degree of subjectivity in narration and an emphasis on a painterly aesthetic.

A lot of effort is dedicated to image composition, using partially obscured images and light to create framing within the frame. The materiality of the sound contrasts with the highly stylized aesthetic.

The loss of control of the fisherman character is depicted in a number of sequences using a high subjectivity in narration, employing sound as another element to transmit his state of mind and complement the visuals (i.e. the hallucinations and the partially obscured frames that are in line with the main character’s deteriorating psychological state). There is great use of sensory images, a particularly good case is the running sequence (4m23) that combines barely hinted images with sounds of running and breathing.

The father-daughter relationship and conflicts depicted (internal and external) help provide the short its great expressive quality.