Our goal from the beginning was for the film to be a good time at the movies – whether or not you catch the references. We wanted it to be fun for everyone – both for folks familiar with Herzog and Kinski, and for folks that have no clue who they are. So, it was very important that the movie would be understandable to all audiences.
In the interview, I talk to Hansen about why he chose to structure the film the way he did to properly portray the “raw, real life junk” that marriages are chock full of. He also discusses how much the actors’ had to shoulder when it comes to delivering a nuanced look at a relationship and how shooting out of order and shooting primarily at night could have complicated that effort – yet didn’t.
What works so well for this film is its vignette aesthetic. By pairing down the production to essentially seven scenes it allows the script to shine, the actors to perform, and every department thereafter to simplify and focus on it’s work. Rarely is anything shot outside of a close up and light softly fills their heads or faces and warms up the scene. It can feel extremely shot-reverse shot but only because it’s making the most of it’s best element: the acting. As an exercise in strategic filmmaking Seven Short Films works on an aesthetic AND technical level.
