Author

About the Author /

MarBelle has a strange compulsion to watch as many films as he can get his hands on and find jobs that give him a legitimate excuse to drill filmmakers about their work. Directors Notes is the multi-decade incarnation of this disorder and remains so much cheaper than film school.

Live Action

A Young Woman Looks to the Cosmos for the Meaning of Growing Up in Avital Siegel’s NYU Short ‘Twentysomething’

A twenty something searches for the meaning of growing up and waits for an answer of cosmic proportions in Avital Siegel's impressive NYU Short.

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Animation

A Vampire Sinks His Teeth into the Plastic Surgery Business in Martinus Klemet’s Deliciously Kitsch ‘Fatcula’

Estonian Director Martinus Klemet lifts the lid on his delightfully kitsch, animated reimagining of Bram Stoker’s seminal blood sucker.

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Animation

Tal Kantor Reflects on the Gulf Between Words and Actions in Fragmented Mixed Media Animation ‘In Other Words’

Tal Kantor returns to DN for an extensive look at the techniques, tools & thought processes which led to her captivating exploration of inaction & regret.

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Film Festival, Live Action, Podcasts

DN355: A Prima Ballerina Fights for Relevance & Perfection in Birgitte Stærmose’s Psycho Thriller ‘Darling’

Denmark's Birgitte Stærmose discusses 'Darling', her intense story of pain and perfection which unfolds in the demanding world of professional ballet.

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Art & Fashion

Adrián Suárez Embodies Charles Bukowski’s Pessimistic Prose in Visual Poem ‘Alone With Everybody’

Spanish Director Adrián Suárez tells DN how he mined the sensorial aspects of Charles Bukowski's original verse for visual poem, 'Alone With Everybody'.

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Documentary

Nils Clauss Redefines the Form of Documentary Filmmaking With His Korea Shorts Trilogy

DN invited director Nils Clauss to reflect on the making of 'Plastic Girls' and the completion of his Korea related trilogy of short documentaries.

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Live Action

A Girl Learns a Harsh Lesson About Culpability From Her Canine Friend in Nick Singer’s Short ‘Bite’

DN talks to dir. Nick Singer about his return to shorts, casting child and canine leads and paring a narrative back to its thematic essentials.

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Documentary

Oliver Jeffers Reflects on His Past, Present & Legacy in Bas Berkhout’s Deeply Insightful Documentary

Oliver Jeffers divulges his take on life, death, art, Belfast, picture books, parenthood and legacy in Bas Berkhout's deeply intimate documentary.

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Animation

Eric Power Teases His Gloriously Gruesome 90s Cut Paper Horror Feature ‘Attack of the Demons’

DN spoke to dir. Eric Power about tapping into 90s nostalgia & taking his paper animation craft to another dimension for new feature 'Attack of the Demons'.

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Film Festival, Live Action, Podcasts

DN354: An English Boxer Fights to Survive a Brutal Thai Prison in Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire’s ‘A Prayer Before Dawn’

How director Jean-Stéphane Sauvaire brought the brutal reality of an English boxer's life in one Thailand's most notorious prisons to screen.

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Live Action

A Therapist Desperately Negotiates for His Life in Paul Schneider’s Tense Short ‘Fifty Minutes’

Paul Schneider shares how he adapted an inner dialog short story into a tense onscreen battle of wits between a desperate pair of unreliable adversaries.

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Documentary, Film Festival, Music Video, Podcasts

DN353: Rob Curry & Tim Plester Herald the Rebirth of a Folk Legend in ‘The Ballad of Shirley Collins’

Rob Curry & Tim Plester craft a lyrical response to the life, work & tragic loss of the High Queene of English Folk music, Shirley Collins.

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