Vattnet

Fourteen minutes is not a great length of time to tell a whole story. So the director and writer, Marco van Bergen, simply takes a single issue, that of a great "what if", "if only I hadn't turned away", "if only I hadn't hesitated", and follows that idea from the position of a young Englishman staying in Sweden. While the film suffers from the same problems faced by many gay filmmakers of gay themes, namely that of low budgets restricting the scope of the work, the end result is aided by the fact that a 'localised emotion' (if the reader comprehends such a notion) need be dealt with only in a localised setting. (Note the emotional impact of Hitchcock's "Rear Window" or Natali's "Cube", neither of which goes beyond a very limited geography.) Vattnet (Water) will not make it as one of the great gay short film stories, but it is a pleasant observation of a moment that most of us in our earlier, and definitely 'clumsier' years will remember all too well. Aided by a competent filming style and competent acting, and this cannot be a waste of a useful 14 minutes.

like many short films, it suggest. giving few elements to the viewer for create his version of story. and its identity. because it is a film about loneliness , family, secrets and truth about yourself and refuge in personal universe, temptation and a meeting who could change all. and, in essence, this is the great virtue of film. to give paths and not ways. to explore the clash between different boys. for the touching - mysterious end. for the high level of delicacy used for define a special contact. Vattnet has the strange status to be memorable against its not comfortable simplicity. because the absence of dialogues in large part of it , the possibility to see it as a form of parable are the good points who saves an ordinary story about sexual identity. and , sure, the delicate images.

This just treads on coincidence after coincidence. None of it is realistic, and the reactions of the characters are frustrating. But its a short film so whatever.