Sea Shadow (2020)

Directed by: Vincent Bal | 10 minutes | short film, fantasy | Actors: Pepijn van der Sman, Guy Clemens, Britte Lagcher, Linde van der Storm | Original voice cast: Dimitri Leue

The unlimited imagination of Vincent Bal (illustrator and filmmaker) is well expressed in the NTR! Short ‘Sea Shadow’ (2020). The director is best known for the film hit ‘Minoes’ (2001), but ‘Nono, the zigzag child’ from 2012 is also worth watching. For several years now, the Belgian artist has been selling his ‘Shadowology’ designs through Etsy. For those who are curious about what this art form entails, ‘Sea Shadow’ is a perfect introduction.

‘Sea Shadow’ is about nine-year-old Max. When his mother and his sister go to the beach, he is disappointed that he cannot come with them. The reason for his ‘house arrest’ is that he has to give a speech soon. He doesn’t even know what it should be about, let alone whether he has written anything yet. Max’s father also has to work, but you can see that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when both father and son are easily distracted. However, Max’s father has lost his youthful fantasy, because he looks at his mobile phone without thinking. We notice soon enough that Max is still bursting with imagination.

There is a charging plug on Max’s table, casting a funny shadow on his paper. Max draws a doll in it and to his surprise this doll comes to life. At first Max tries to keep this a secret, but when his father realizes that something special is going on, the two of them try to bring the little man to his goal: the blue sea on the other side of the room – cast by the sunlight a vase a special shadow on the wall.

‘Sea Shadow’ could well be autobiographical. Vincent Bal’s ingenuity is endless; ordinary objects suddenly take on a different function because of their shadow. You take for granted that the actors sometimes come across as forced. Nice and creative video.