Article
THE DARK WATERS OF HORROR-UNDERGROUND:
IVY
A SHORT FILM THAT YOU’LL NEVER SEE
Translated from Russian by Vicky Finn
[Click HERE for Original Article on RussoRosso.com]
RussoRosso was lucky to see the short film of the Russian Israeli living in Australia, and we could not remain silent.
A nice spacious apartment. Sunlight out the window. But Rick hasn’t opened the curtains for a long time. He doesn’t leave the apartment, despite the booze and almost all the food running out. The cockroaches have taken up residence.
The thing is, the hero has lost the love of his life – a girl named Ivy. And now nothing interests him. Neighbours and friends attempt to snap Rick out of this state. Some try to talk him out of it, others mock him, still others recall better times and suggest that life should continue. Evidently, things aren’t so simple, and this story is not just a common story of a broken heart and tragic love.
Ivy was written, directed and produced by Itai Guberman (with Asaf Angel co-producing), an Israeli of Russian descent, currently living in Australia. This is his third short film in three years, along with Dolphin (2016) and Third Temple (2014). Dolphin and Ivy will be screened as official selections at the American genre film festival Cabin Fever, starting April 14 in Ohio. After this, Dolphin will be available via streaming, but Ivy is likely to disappear from the cinematic landscape, despite its numerous awards (it has five under its belt, including ‘Best Horror’ at Deep Cut Film Festival in Canada), nominations and numerous official selections. Like a butterfly, this short film will continue the genus, and then perish.
Currently, Guberman is busy shooting his debut feature horror film Revelation, the origins of whose plot is the story of Ivy. Half of this feature has been shot, but to conclude shooting, the Israeli producer requires critical additional funds. Screenings of the short film will contribute to this funding.
In his work, Guberman is continuing the tradition of Babadook (2014) and It Follows (2014): dissection of a social problem, developed through the horror genre. Ivy, like Third Temple starts off with modern angles and montages, quickly clearing the stage for the message. We hope that in the feature-length film the visual features will be more frequent.
Currently, MyIndie Productions films are not available for viewing, but they will be soon. The future of the full feature film Revelation will soon be decided.
