'A Short Story' by Bi Gan Review: An artistic perception on cats

Bi Gan has a beautifully artistic feature film coming out soon called Resurrection. The director disappeared for a while after Long Day's Journey into Night, another beautifully crafted film that had me falling in love with the arthouse world of Chinese cinema. It was weird to see him just drop off a bit, though it appears in the meantime he was putting together his next feature while also working on a few short films. I decided to check them out with some curiosity. A Short Story from 2022 was a weird short, one that I didn't quite get at first until I looked at the additional name on the film: Pidan. A quick Google search revealed that it's an organisation that handles the treatment of cats, ensuring their wellbeing and awareness of their importance as little companions through life.

After watching, the film started to make a lot more sense. The Black Cat figure being a visual representation of a being that runs around throughout an environment displaying various acts of kindness and support to the people that need it. With some unique individuals experiencing various troubles. One of which a robot that had its battery run out, left to sit idle in an abandoned building with nothing to live for. Another was a woman that had lost her lover, now incapable of living day to day and wasting away in misery. Each time, the cat would leave something of itself behind to guide them forward. Down to the supporting of a child and giving them the joy of youth. I'm not much of a cat person, I must admit, I'm definitely more on the side of dogs. But I appreciated the way the film told its story. It didn't feel like a bit of an advertisement at all. So much so that it did attend Cannes. I'm not surprised at all. Bi Gan's unique vision is addictive, strange, and definitely feels a bit more otherworldly and exaggerated than most. A foreign director that truly stands out.

Bi Gan's imaginative style of storytelling remains here. It felt incredibly dreamlike. As if to be roaming through time and space. It's a common technique of his, and one I really love. The short was filmed with a 4:3 boxed aspect ratio which keeps everything centred. There's a considerable amount of depth within the scenes that keep the storytelling and environments part of the whole atmosphere. Even with the little humanoid running around interacting within the surroundings as the troubled people remain in the foreground with their woes. I really loved the cinematography with the aspect ratio. Very fixed motions or still photography. The use of mirrors to portray environments larger than they were, where they would be smashed and reveal another environment. Dreamlike sequences that have doors opening up to railroads that reveal time passing.

And now I remain more excited for his upcoming film Resurrection. Even more dreamlike based on the trailer recently released!