The Diamond
2023 · 14m · Sweden
Directed by Vedran Rupic
Genres: comedy, dark comedy
Tones: absurdist, darkly comic, surreal
A lonely man named Stefan discovers a massive diamond lodged in the woods and enlists a smaller man named Douglas to help retrieve it, only to realize too late that the unlikely friendship he formed along the way was the real treasure.
Picked by Zoe
The scouts
Body dragged past a choir of herpes-ridden singers into a bin — that is the kind of ending I show up for. Swedish absurdism that refuses to behave.
Vedran Rupic in Lanthimos-and-Roy-Andersson territory with the herpes-choir Short of the Week singled out as 'one of the strangest endings.' That specificity is the curatorial signal I trust. Strange and committed.
Fourteen minutes ending with Stefan's body dragged across landscapes past a choir of herpes-ridden singers before sliding into a bin — Short of the Week calling that 'one of the strangest endings you're likely to see in a short' is the specific craft praise that earns my attention. New Yorker Screening Room placement confirms the absurdist control.
Reviews
The Diamond is a visually striking film, but it's the combination of the cinematography, fx-work, sound design and performances that makes it truly successful.
It's one of the strangest endings you're likely to see in a short, but you really shouldn't be surprised after all that has come before it.
Festivals
- Fantastic Fest 2023
- Odense International Film Festival 2023
- Palm Springs International ShortFest 2023