The Shaman

I remember seeing a teaser about this film on io9 and getting excited for it. Sure enough, when I finally watched this short, it didn't disappoint. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and would love to see the concept turned into a feature-length film. I was a bit confused when things seemed to change so much -- it reminded me a bit of Inception -- but after watching it again, I saw how it all tied together.

The quality of the music and costume/prop design should be commended -- I really enjoyed the shorts they made about that process as well.

I disagree with another commentator who criticized the acting, I thought it was poignant and well-done. Definitely commend the team for their hard work and hope to see more of this!

This is really spectacular work. I've been busy all day with the stupidest doctors so I'm glad I finally had time for this short. Visuals are insane! There's actually a great plot with enough material for a feature film. The year is 2204 and humans have been in war for years. They rely on huge intelligent battle machines to fight. Shamanism has returned and they have special senses of the "unseen" and "beyond." This is a story of a Shaman battling a battle machine. He and his group are sent onto the battlefield and into the machine where he psychically links to it. Their psychological battle is one for the ages and the end is so damn satisfying.

As a long-time reader of Science Fiction, I have long been interested in the mythological "hero". The Shaman presents a hero that is deeply disturbed, but must perform for the good of the people.

The movie is intriguing, cinematic, and very moving. I was fascinated by the use of the mystical combined with technology, and wish to know more about the background of this situation - what happened to cause the war? Who are the Shamans (there are obviously more of them)? What is the connection between music and magic, particularly regarding Lene and the Shaman? How did machines get souls? What do the facial markings mean? Who was the man in white?

This movie prompts all sorts of imaginative contemplation, which I certainly enjoyed.

The acting is true to the roles. Lene most definitely demonstrated care, concern, love, and support to the Shaman. The Shaman was portrayed as a stunted personality due to his history and training. However, the human was still there - in the actor's eyes. The supporting actors exhibited the awe and responsibility to protect the Shaman and their dedication to the war.

Marco Kalantari's dark, chaotic setting and the overall tone of the movie were amazing. I truly hope to see more of this world in the future, but if there are no further explanations, my mind will provide wondrous ones.

Powerful story about past, manipulation, fight and tools of victory, about new status of shamans and about vulnerability. A beautiful film because it is one of rich roots, behind the technical solutions. More than a Sci Fi in clothes of medieval, it is a great work of nuances. A film about power and self defy. Well crafted, well done.

Brilliant, top to bottom. I can not even begin to grasp the massive amount of work that clearly has gone into this. You don ́t see a short with this amount of production value that also has an intricate story that often. This amazing short proves you can create an unforgettable experience in a faction of the time and expense of a'Hollywood' movie. Beautiful, powerful, and poignant. Great visuals and camera aside, the lead actors were just outstanding. Danny Shayler's portrait of the shaman is intense and vivid. Given the short running time - 17 minutes - he is allowing us a surprisingly deep insight into the soul of this conflicted man. A lot of Sci-Fi short films try to show off CGI and visual effects. What interests me about Shaman is the powerful psychology, direction and theme. I can't help but love the combination of old and new. It's kind of a precautionary tale for us to remember our past in order to progress forward into a new era. It's truly a fascinating subject. Combining the technological with the mystical. There's a bit of Matrix in this, and a bit of Inception maybe, but Shaman never crosses the copycat line and stays at all times original. Would love the entire score....and a larger and longer treatment of the concept (same actors, please)