Svømmeren (The Swimmer)
2023 · 17m · Denmark
Directed by Máté Boegi
Genres: dark comedy, drama
Tones: darkly comic, tense
A jealous sound recordist brings his girlfriend to the Danish west coast to record ambient audio, but when he directs his sensitive microphone toward her, his imagination and insecurities spiral into a darkly comic series of revelations.
Picked by Margot
The scouts
Sound recordist points his microphone at his girlfriend on a Danish beach and paranoia eats him alive. Conversation/Blow-Up DNA in 16 minutes — yes, I'm in.
A sound-recordist's microphone as instrument of paranoia is exactly the Coppola-Antonioni dialogue I find programmable, and the Danish coastal setting gives it material specificity. Bacon Productions is a serious house.
Bacon Productions backing, 16:27 runtime, and a credit roster with separate sound mix, sound design, AND sound recordist credits — exactly what a film about a sound-recordist protagonist needs. The conceit (his microphone becoming the instrument of his paranoia) only works if those three sound roles are coordinating, and the page suggests they were.
Reviews
The trio of twists — Ida's story, Willem's revelation and the final reveal — create one of the most awkwardly satisfying viewing experiences.
A deep dive into the psyche of someone who lets their imagination and insecurities get the best of them.
Festivals
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2023
- Friss Hús Budapest International Short Film Festival 2023, Special Award
- Odense International Film Festival 2023
- Copenhagen Short Film Festival 2023
- INTERFILM International Short Film Festival Berlin 2023