Mankind Is No Island. (2008)

Director:

Jason van Genderen

Writer:

Jason van Genderen (writer)

Genre:

Short

Tagline:

Sydney. New York. Two global cities with big hearts, broken.

Plot Keywords:

New York City | Homeless | Sydney | Tropfest | Typography

Runtime:

USA:4 min | Australia:3 min (approx.)

Country:

Australia

Language:

English

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Filming Locations:

New York City, New York, USA

Company:

Treehouse Creative

Trivia:

Mankind Is No Island. (2008) was shot entirely on a cell phone, on the streets of New York, NY and Sydney, Australia. The film won the $20,000 top prize at Tropfest NY 2008.

No issues with it technically and creatively but it is manipulative, corny and sentimental to the point of being patronising

This short film was the winner of 2008's Tropfest NY shorts festival and it deals with the topic of homelessness in the cities of New York and Sydney. Most people who have mentioned this film to me have done so with tears in their eyes it seems because they have been moved by it and urged to address the problem – so I was interested to see what it did. Technically and creatively it must be said that the film is a good idea. A very good camera phone is used to captures words from parts of signs to spell out sentences in time to music while we also get images of the homeless on the streets. No doubt it is a good idea which is pulled together well.

However it is the content that gives me pause and makes me think that perhaps people are judging the film by how worthy it is as message rather by how good it is as a message. I only had two problems with the content of the film but the thing is, there are really only two or three aspects to the film. The most obvious aspect that jarred with me is the music. It is a horrid tinkly affair that sounds like the type of music used in a TVM death scene where a mother declares love to her daughter after so many years apart – except more manipulative and corny. OK for some people this will work but I hate when the music is so much of a part of the feelings. The second issue sits alongside the music because it is the "dialogue". Like I said, technically and creatively I liked the way the words are done but the actual sentences are so corny and sentimental – and they and the music together are almost patronising to the viewer in terms of how heavily the "worthiness" and "sadness" are piled onto us in such a short period of time.

Voters at Tropfest do not agree and I'm sure many viewers will not either but I have to call it like I see it. Credit to van Grenderen for his idea and the worthiness of his aims but the corny sentiment kills even the basic aim of raising awareness because it is so obvious and manipulative in how it delivers the message that I found it quite patronising.