Traditions practiced around the world to represent or bring about good luck in the new year are kinda random. There’s a naked baby in a top hat (U.S.), polka dots (Philippines), colorful underwear (Mexico and Brazil), and molten lead (plz explain, Germany!). The Vimeo curation team’s choices for the first month of the new year may be trying to tell us something about our fates in 2018. If we were to sum up these seven videos into symbolic objects or emotions, they would be: a landline telephone, the willingness to take insane risks, a death stare, a fancy shiny car, the Plan B pill, and marriage … to someone in jail.
Some wild cards there, but overall we’d say the future looks bright. Press play to identify where each of these easter eggs come from.
“Slapper” from Luci Schroeder
Warning: This film contains graphic content.
When it comes to Sundance Film Festival shorts, it’s impossible for us to choose just one favorite. One film that we all agreed was a clear standout in 2017 was whirlwind drama “Slapper,” which we were thrilled to bring online as a Staff Pick Premiere this month. Since peeping this one in the theater, we’ve been itching to bring director Luci Schroeder’s fresh voice to the little screen, where you can join the raw, twist-filled story of a drug-addled mother and her child on their search for a Plan B pill. This piece is definitely not one to miss, and we suggest that you refrain from watching it with those who may be offended by bodily fluids.
“James Blake – If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead” from Alexander Brown
The fluorescent street lights that pop on at night illuminate our environments, providing new perspective on things you wouldn’t give a second look in the daylight. In this music video for James Blake’s darkly beautiful song “If the Car Beside You Moves Ahead,” white, red, and yellow lights reflect and flicker off of a moving car perfectly in time with the tune — glitches, stutters, and all. It’s easily a dark, trippy treat for your eyes as well as your ears.
“Alone” from Garrett Bradley / The New York Times
Aloné Watts is madly in love with her fiancé, Desmond. She is deeply committed to him, though he is still waiting on a verdict and a sentence, and jail. Up-and-coming talent Garrett Bradley brings us a touching, beautifully filmed portrait of a young woman whose partner is locked behind bars for an undetermined amount of time. Winner of the Short Film Jury Award in non-fiction at Sundance 2017, “Alone” is a quiet, fascinating story about risk, sacrifice, commitment, and love driven by blind hope.
“TSIRKU” from Sherpas Cinema
What is more thrilling than watching a mortal human being look death in the face and say, “This is fun!”? Witnessing incredibly skilled and brave skiers conquer the avalanche-prone, steep, and rocky descent that is Canada’s Saint Elias mountains is thrilling — equivalent to witnessing a magician lock themself underwater in a safe surrounded by a school of circling sharks. If you do not 1) drop an F-bomb, 2) drop your jaw in awe, or 3) somehow state out loud the (admirable) insanity of Hadley Hammer, Sam Anthamatten, and Ralph Blackstrom, then you must have seen some crazy things in your lifetime. And did we mention “TSIRKU” was made by Sherpas Cinema, whose “Imagination: Tom Wallisch” earned our “Best of the Year” pick for action sports just last month? These guys spit cold fire.
“Russia” from Pete R.
Our world moves really fast, and there is no better film technique to capture our anthill level of organized chaos than timelapse. This method is used for countless travel videos. The few that stand out do so because they get all the essential elements of a top notch video showcasing our planet right: a variety of shots, fitting music that hasn’t been used several times before, and a willingness to wait for and document aspects of a place that truly capture its unique personality. In “Russia,” we feel the pride of this country in loud, bombastic brass, see the true personality of its people, and visit all of its impressive landmarks without buying a plane ticket.
“Young Marco – Trippy Isolator” from Rop van Mierlo
IIt may sound cheesy, but “Young Marco – Trippy Isolator” is a bit of a metaphor for life: unless you remain focused on the present moment, you’re going to miss a lot of real beauty flashing before your eyes. Perhaps this is the lesson Rop van Mierlo wanted us to take away from his unique animated technique, or maybe he just wanted to create a video that was cool enough to bring more ears to Young Marco’s track. Either way, it’s our job to bring more eyes to the art that the Vimeo community shares, and that’s why this video deserves its own real estate on this list.
“Waves ‘98” from Ely Dagher
Beirut in 1998 was optimistic for filmmaker Ely Dagher. The Lebanese Civil War had ended eight years prior and in its place came a period of recovery with the promise of progress for his home city. Decades later, when Dagher was working on “Waves ‘98” — an animation film that combines several mediums to explore his relationship with Beirut — that feeling of optimism had given way. In its place came a tumultuous state, as city infrastructure continued to crumble and the news played a constant loop of depressing stories. This Staff Pick Premiere is the story of young Dagher and his friends’ disillusionment with their home city during some of its most turbulent days and how they came to break the cycle of feeling helpless to save it.
