A compilation of short films directed by Andy Bausch (Rusty Boys (2027); Little Duke (2023); A Wopbobaloobop a Lopbamboom (1989); D'Fifties (2013)).
Drama; 92 mins; 12+; in LU with EN subtitles.
Luxembourg's eminent film director, Andy Bausch has released a feature-length compilation of short films he had directed over a 41-year period from 1984-2024.
Talking with Chronicle.lu, when asked about the title, Andy Bausch explained: "We thought we leave the title '40 years of Andy Bausch short films' [as it] sounds better than '41 years'".
The feature-length compilation comprises seven short films, all ranging in length, and is interspersed with a number of advertisements he also wrote and directed over the years.
The short films are all dramas, often in black and white, and they cover a range of contrasting genres, etc.; they address various themes including social issues including poverty, emigration, illiteracy, prostitution and AIDS, as well as historical dramas.
It opens with upbeat catchy music, with different tunes featured throughout, and most of the shorts feature his trademark comedic style, with characters often portraying imbeciles or bumbling police officers, gangsters, etc. Most have up-front personalities, rather than including character development which can be difficult to achieve in short films.
- Horse Trouble (2024): a spaghetti western spoof that is politically correct, together with a credit style of early westerns. On this one, Andy Bausch explained: "We got the idea by putting together a film programme and thought we should have a trailer, sort of. A trailer of a film that will never exist".
- Letters Unsent (1996, 21 mins): old style camera work used to tell stories of delivering unsent letters written from Luxembourgers in Brazil, Minnesota, Buffalo Bill's travelling show in Metz (where it performed in 1906), painting pictures that life was rosy despite the extreme challenges the writers were facing.
- The Last 50 Hours of Frankie Blue (2006, 8 mins): a shot gangster in Hamburg waits for hill killer.
- Freddie (2016, 8 mins): backstage before a concert in Stockholm, were Freddie Mercury starts to have doubts, with insecurities beginning to creep in, as his health starts to fade.
- Der Daiwel / The Devil (1984, 20 mins): a drunked husband escapes his unhappy home life and stumbles upon a funfair where he explores a freakshow, ending up bringing back the devil to his apartment.
- The Language School (2005, 5 mins): a drama set in a language school for sex workers where a police officer falls for one of the students. Talking about this short film in particular, Andy Bausch recalled "[this] was an initiative of Lars von Trier and his production company Zentropa. He picked 25 directors from 25 European countries and asked them do do a five minute short film, that vaguely had to do with Europe. These films were shown on over 50 tv stations and were released on DVD as 'Visions of Europe'".
- The Butcher (2004, 15 mins): about a bumbling killer who realises his mistake possibly too late.
To be screened across Luxembourg at Kinepolis, Ciné Utopia, CiNextDoor and Caramba from 19 November.
For details, see https://www.shorts.lu/
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