Magical Realism Tag Archive

Live Action

Grief Becomes an Addictive Vice in the Back Rooms of Julian Doan’s Surreal ‘Long’s Long Lost & Mini Mart’

Julian Doan turns a Little Saigon mini mart into a purgatory where the grieving buy one last conversation with the dead beside the booze and lotto.

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Live Action

Luigi Sibona Filters a Child’s Personal Apocalypse Through a Magical Realism Lens in ‘Far From the Plains’

An urban stable becomes a sanctuary for a boy carrying his mother's grief as great storms loom in Luigi Sibona's Grey Moth produced South London short.

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Live Action

An Intimate, Evocative Dive Into Fertility, Fear, and Women’s Agency Through Magical Realism in Rita Heer’s ‘Abja and Her

Rita Heer breaks down the practical effects process behind using floating resin and edible jelly to physically manifest a woman's egg freezing trepidation.

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Live Action

A Fleeting Encounter Unlocks a World of Whimsical Possibility in David Ma’s ‘The Dancing Girl and The Balloon Man’

David Ma reveals how long lenses and a documentary approach grounded his film about a blooming romance between a dim sum shop assistant and a street performer.

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Live Action, Premiere

Mateo Martinez Weaves Ancestral Ghosts and Emerald Greed Into a Hypnotic Columbian Allegory in ‘Cacique del Monte’

Mateo Martinez depicts the emerald trade through myth & violence as a thief's greed awakens a mountain's curse, binding past to present in sacred green fire.

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Live Action, Premiere

The Discovery of an Intimate Gold Mine Threatens a Couple’s Love in Krit Komkrichwarakool’s Romance Drama ‘Auganic’

Krit Komkrichwarakool walks us through how he blended magical realism with grounded storytelling to explore the complex dynamics of modern relationships.

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Live Action, Premiere

Youthful Abandon Clashes Against the Burdens of Impending Adulthood in Melina Valdez’ ‘Weapons and Their Names’

Melina Valdez unpacks her process of weaving magical realism into a grounded narrative informed by personal experience to portray the tumult of teenage grief.

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Live Action, Premiere

Jerome Yoo Encapsulates the Chaotic Abandon of Self-Centred Youth in Fantastical Short ‘River Boy Blues’

Jerome Yoo talks about adopting handheld camera work to express the freedom and abandon of his teenage protagonists on a mission to relocate a significant pet.

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Live Action

Yasmin Afifi’s BAFTA Winner ‘Jellyfish & Lobster’ Extols the Joys of Living Without Conforming to Expectations

Writer/Director Yasmin Afifi tells DN why magical realism was the perfect genre in which to tell her dark comedic story about finding joy at the end of life.

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Art & Fashion

Nat Gee Traverses the Ebbs and Flows of an Intense Anxiety Attack in Experiential Short ‘Waves’

Nat Gee explains how she used movement and camerawork to convey the inner workings of an intense anxiety attack for her experimental dance short.

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Animation, Premiere

Dominica Harrison’s ‘Chado’ Is a Coming of Age Story Set Within an Enchanted Russian Wilderness

Dominica Harrison details the physical approach to animation she took in creating the magical imagery of her short film 'Chado'.

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Live Action, Premiere

Alfie Dale Tells the Spiritual Journey of a Trans Teen in Fairytale Drama ‘My Brother is a Mermaid’

Alfie Dale explains how he sought to re-understand embedded societal gender norms through his social-realist LGBTQ fairytale 'My Brother is a Mermaid'.

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