Sarah Chong Is Going to Kill Herself
2016 · 15m · UK
Directed by Ella Jones
Tones: absurdist, darkly comic, surreal, whimsical
A surreal workplace fantasy in which a disillusioned receptionist recounts the legend of 1970s receptionist Sarah Chong to a maltreated intern — an administrative revolutionary who, sensing a fracture in her beloved workplace, decides to take matters into her own hands, hands which may well contain grenades.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Wes Anderson cosplay about an administrative revolutionary with possible grenades — at least it's swinging at something specific instead of being tasteful. The title is doing more work than most films in this stack.
An administrative-revolutionary fable in self-conscious Wes Anderson register, backed by BFI and Creative England — the cast alone (Steve Oram, Isy Suttie, Phil Wang) signals it knows its comic register. Stylish and on-purpose.
Fourteen-minute Wes Anderson-pastiche workplace fantasy developed through Creative England's all-female 'Funny Girls' initiative with BFI backing, and a cast featuring Phil Wang and Steve Oram — that's institutional and comedic firepower. 'May contain grenades' as a warning suggests the absurdist tonal control is on point.
Reviews
A fun parody of and homage to Wes Anderson and Jean-Pierre Jeunet, with a surreal workplace fantasy that channels their distinctive visual style into feminist comedy.
Festivals
- LOCO London Comedy Film Festival 2016
- Encounters Film Festival 2016
- Cambridge Film Festival 2016
- LA Comedy Festival 2016
- Edmonton International Film Festival 2017
- Portland Comedy Film Festival 2017, Nominated: Best Director, Best Actor/Actress, Best Original Music, Best Editing