Hey guys! Horrorella here...
One of the more quiet moments in Alfonso Cuaron's GRAVITY also proved to be one of its most emotional. In it, Dr. Ryan Stone (Sandra Bullock), stranded and alone in space, attempts to contact Mission Control in Houston via radio. Instead, she finds herself chatting (despite a language barrier) with a man on an icy fjord in Greenland. It's a difficult scene wherein Stone lays bare all of the fears and anxieties concerning her present situation that, until now, she has been trying not to focus on. And while the man on Earth has no idea what she is saying, he still manages to provide her a moment of comfort, in his own way.
Jonas Cuaron's short film, ANINGAAQ (via THR), shows the other side of that conversation. I'm amazed at just how gracefully it fits into the greater GRAVITY story, yet stands so well on its own. The mirroring stories of isolation and loneliness compliment each other greatly, creating a very emotional, haunting piece of cinema.
Apparently, the idea came about as the Cuarons were scripting GRAVITY. Alfonso spent time in Greenland while location scouting for another film, and met a drunken native who would serve as the inspiration for the titular character (played here by Orto Ignatiussen). Jonas Cuaron shot the film on location in Greenland, and finished in time to meld the dialogue into GRAVITY's final sound mix.
Originally planned as an extra feature on the film's Blu-ray release, Warners has submitted ANINGAAQ for Oscar consideration in the live-action short category.
Check it out below. It's a beautiful piece.
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