The idea of a global catastrophe and the death of the entire planet is not new but in the current world of crisis it is more attractive. Talks about it became especially frequent in 2012, when a global catastrophe was expected according to the Mayan calendar. Now it is past, and many works in the cinema were dedicated to it. A number of directors addressed this topic. Among them are Steven Spielberg and Lars von Trier. They use impressive special effects in their films, which are connected with large sums of money. Accordingly, their created films catch our eye and are memorable for the audience. Georgian directors with a small budget and without special effects were able to win many awards and collected many positive reviews with a short film. It is interesting whether the film "8 Minutes" (2017) is really so ideal and how well its creators were able to convey the main idea to the audience.
In this film by Giorgi Gogichaishvili and Davit Abramishvili, the sun has gone out and there are only 8 minutes left before the ray of light completely disappears. The world is in panic, except for one person. The film tells us about him and the story developed in this time. The work shows a global catastrophe and, at the same time, focuses on the fate of a few people. For this kind of film, it is important to show the tragedy, the morality and the fear of the future that will follow such global changes. Action in similar films made in Hollywood mostly takes place between father and son, this Georgian film is no exception.
Despite the fact that it is a short film, the directors were able to convey two main lines in it. The plot has the capability to divide the events into two parts. The first part is an introduction and preparation for the apocalypse, for which everyone prepares in their own way, and the second part is an attempt to restore the relationship and regret for unrequited love.
From the beginning of the film, it is already noticeable that "8 Minutes" does not reflect the effects characteristic of apocalyptic cinema. Its main purpose is to show the relationship between father and son in the background of global events, however, it would be unfair to ignore the positive aspect of this work and this positive is expressed by the camera and some successful directorial moves. Dark shots, darkened rooms are symbolic of the end of the world. The moon slowly receding from the camera evokes a mood of hopelessness, while the sunlight coming through the window symbolizes the end. Also of note is the hauntingly oppresive music that perfectly matches the mood of the film. The image of the sun is shown so realistically that you get a sense of fear and think for a second, what will happen if the sun really disappears? What happens to the human race?
There are few sparkles in the film, thus emphasizing naturalness, which is aided by characteristic background noise. it gives the viewer an opportunity to feel the atmosphere of the city. As for the first line, the visual effects do not look spectacular, fail to create the intense impression of an apocalypse movie. In the background of the sound of the news program, which announces the eclipse of the sun, we can see panic-stricken people in preparation, however, this tension does not follow until the end and, after a one-minute introduction, the sci-fi turns into another drama, showing the strained relationship between father and son.
For fans of modern cinema, who are used to seeing "Avatar," "Inception" or even "Matrix," there is nothing to see here. Instead of chaos, the impression is created as if Georgia, like the whole world, is living its normal life, except for a little chaos and a few suicides, everything is the same as before. Shops are open, television is on, news programs are reporting the latest events. The journalists are worried about the neighboring people entering the country, who were able to enter because the border guards refused to protect the border. They inform the population about the impending disaster without excitement, as if this problem is secondary for Georgia and does not concern them personally at all. The feeling of the imminent end of the world is almost non-existent here, and what is shown, it even looks primitive.
The film lacks internal logic. If the sun is out, what's the point of packing up and moving somewhere else? Is there any place on earth where it exists? Moreover, it is heard from the news program that the sun has already out in several countries. In eight minutes, the main character manages to tidy himself up, shave his beard, listen to the news on TV and think about it, call his son twice and talk to his neighbor at the same time. All this looks ridiculous, to say the least, in this short time.
The film cannot really be called science fiction. The elements necessary for this genre are neglected from the beginning. Only the beginning conveys confusion and desperation, trying to save yourself and your loved ones. And then the drama begins, without any backstory. The issue of the sun going out takes a backseat after three minutes, as the authors bring forward the story of a family with its complex psychological problems. Soon the approaching disaster is forgotten and the plot turns into a family drama, which is not so exciting.
The end of the world offers enormous opportunities for imagination and improvisation. Everything is possible to use both real and unreal. That's why the second line is the conflict between father and son, which is shown from the beginning, but the problem is that the audience knows nothing about any of these characters. It is not known why for Nika his father is no longer a role model man whom he once looked up to with shining eyes. Why doesn't the main character call his son for a long time and try to resolve the relationship?
People decide for themselves how to spend the eight minutes before total eclipse. Like the main character, until the end, everyone realizes what is most valuable to them, but there is no time left to correct their mistakes. There really aren't enough remaining minutes to make up with your child, who has been upset for years, to open your heart and tell him how much you love him. People's relationships and their feelings are revealed here. The two most important feelings are love and fear of death. The most important thing in the film is the main character's realization of inevitability and the impossibility of changing anything because it no longer makes sense.
Due to the lack of dynamics, the film seems too long, but the running time is only twelve minutes. The authors were in such a hurry to finish their work that they forgot to show the most important thing – the film could not convey the doom and gloom as befits this genre.
As for actor Slava Natenadze’s main character, he seems too bored and tired. To some extent, this may have been an idea of the directors, but it does not change the overall impression. The character, who is not fully revealed, prevents the analysis of his psychological state. You can't say much about the performance of the other actors, because this work does not have memorable characters that could impress the audience.
The end is open. I won't say anything about the note on which the story of the apocalypse ended, although it had a lot of potential. It could have been something more than a monotonous film. Allowing more time for the finale would have been better.
The only link connecting the first and second lines is the news broadcast, which is the background of the entire work. If not for this, it would be impossible to perceive it as a whole.
The film is the first and, judging by its awards, a successful attempt for Georgian directors to try a new genre. This is their debut work. It's clear that both definitely have the potential to create a more cohesive, less flawed and much more interesting film production with good screenplay and more experience.
Teona Vekua
