Entropic of Cancer, 2011
Poster design Dan Mitchell
FORTHCOMING LONDON SCREENING
For the last time on the big screen Entropic of Cancer short film trilogy will be presented in Bermondsey, south London as one of the highlights of the V22 Summer Club 2012. Online booking here.
WORLD PREMIERE AND BACKGROUND
After more than two years in the making due to budgetary constraints, Entropic of Cancer received its world premiere on Saturday 13 March 2011 at 4PM at the 3rd Minghella Film Festival Cineworld, Newport, Isle of Wight.
After struggling to finish the independently financed Bucco Blanco (2008), Matthias intended his follow up film to be another ambitious short film, The Yards From Home. Highlighting the horrors faced by the victims of knife-crime contrasted with startling visions of NDEs, the budget for the visual effects-heavy script matched its scale. Then Lehman Brothers filed for bankruptcy.
Immediately responding to the global financial crisis of winter 2008, Matthias was inspired to write three loosely interconnected stories that became Entropic of Cancer Trilogy of Short Films: Holler, The Public Benefits and It’s A Serendipitous Thing – a collection of contrasting, modern movies. Matthias drew on his observations of people experiencing and coping – or not as the case may be – with the legacy of an era that has been coined as the ‘Crisis of Capitalism.’
CHALLENGES AND LIMITATIONS
Focusing on British urban middle class society, Matthias wanted each segment of the trilogy to represent an amplified slice of life, showing people in the depths of economic turmoil. From the outset the three films were conceived as the ‘Credit Crunch’ project. There was never going to be any real budget to speak of and so, for economy’s sake, Matthias decided to shoot each part in a single 12-hour day.
The main challenge for the production team was how best to plan the individual episode’s shoot. Matthias said, “Looking back, it was a gamble! Just the idea alone of shooting the films in a day was pretty crazy when you consider that the running times were between ten and a half minutes and thirteen minutes. Logistically it also presented many problems – some obvious, most hidden. Everything had to be meticulously worked out.” There would be no room for error, no time for improvisation. As with any creative endeavour, however, interesting accidents occurred throughout the production process. Many of these accidents were embraced. Recognising how important it was to work together, the team tackled the challenges head-on and solved the problems with consummate creativity and skill.
THE 6th ANNUAL BRITISH URBAN FILM FESTIVAL
Zoom Films presented Entropic of Cancer at the 6th British Urban Film Festival at TUC Congress Centre on Saturday 17 September 2011 at 5.45PM. To listen to Rosemary Laryea’s Colourful Radio interview with actress Kamara Bacchus and Matthias click BUFF.
FROM BRITAIN TO AMERICA – AUTUMN/FALL 2011
Emerson College’s Paramount Theater in Boston, MA and the Tribeca Film Center in New York City hosted invitation only preview screenings of Entropic of Cancer on Wednesday 21 and Friday 23 September 2011, respectively. Matthias gave in depth and extended Q&A sessions after each of the screenings.