In a state of remembering or dreams, Humongous! is a short film that explores who we are through flashbacks that my not even be our own.
Shot on Kodak film, this story had a look about it that made you feel for the main character but also want to dive into the world on screen. It was big, blue and beautiful, drawing everyone in even though there may be bad, but I think this film has really used this aesthetic to help tell them story and keep it dream-like.
Written by Ayako Suzuki, we can imagine that parts of this film are based on real experiences of loss and confusion in the big wide world. From childhood to adulthood, a lot happens in our lives and to be able to write it down in a way that builds a story that an audience will want to watch can be difficult. But by introducing a slither of mystery, this is what keeps the audience and the story pushing through, wanting to figure out what is real or not. I really loved how simple it appeared, how it didn’t rely on deep monologues or heavy, wordy text. It knew what it was and wanted to be and did really well on using emotion and the detail of the film work to tell the story.
Directed by Aya Kawazoe, all these points are solidified through the execution of filming. Entering this whimsical feeling place, we are confused like the characters but drawn in and I think to make something like this takes talent and preparation to really pull it together. I loved the overlapping, the closeness, everything that added to the beauty of the final picture but also left us wondering.
I really did enjoy wanting Humongous! and hope that I can see more films like it, focusing on the art of the final film just as much as the importance of the story.