Stranger Things

Colour, HD CAM
USA, United Kingdom, 2010, 77 min
IP – International premiere
Section: Forum of Independents

Synopsis

Oona returns to her recently-deceased mother’s beloved home, a rundown seaside cottage, in order to sort out her belongings and sell the place. But an encounter with a taciturn homeless man named Mani suddenly changes things, and the heroes get a chance to eliminate some of the troubles that burden their lives. Communication between the two introverted characters gradually becomes more relaxed, and Oona and Mani move closer in an entirely natural way. This subdued picture never aims for the melodramatic, instead penetrating to the heart of two withdrawn figures presented in all their vulnerability. While creating and filming the characters, the directors worked in close cooperation with the actors but didn’t show them the finished script. Thus, since the film was shot chronologically, the actors only knew – like the characters they were portraying – about one piece of the story at a time. In this way Burke and Eyal succeeded not only in highlighting the fundamental values of interpersonal relationships, but also in attaining a unique level of energy between heroes who are captured at exceptionally fragile moments in their lives.

About the director

Eleanor Burke and Ron Eyal chalked up experience shooting short features and documentaries and music videos. They met at New York University, and their first short film together, Ruth and Maggie (2006), premiered at Slamdance. Their feature debut Stranger Things met with success at independent festivals in the US, even taking several prizes. The filmmaking duo also wrote the script and produced, with Burke taking on the duties of camerawoman and editor. Tightly coordinated character formation and acting performances are central to the directors’ creative vision. In 2009 Filmmaker Magazine included them as part of its 25 New Faces of Independent Film.