An often overlooked genre, for me at least, is the short film. I am not too proud to say it. It’s not that I do not like them, it is just they try to tell so much in such a short amount of time that I feel like I am missing something. The last time I tried to push a whole lot of info in a short amount of time Inessa came back from the auction with a haunted teddy bear. Granted it sounds cool at first, but I sent her to get a painted mare. I guess she missed that as I tried to speed talk my list of things to buy that day as I was on my way out of the pod bay hanger to get me a hamburger. In her defense though, the teddy bear was an awful lot of fun for a while.

As SXSW 2012 draws closer, I have a wealth of films to see. Usually I somehow pass on the short films, so I figured it was time to change that. Enter Tumbleweed! by the Varava Brothers which is a film I can only describe as oddly brilliant. So what is the concept you ask? Do you remember when you were a kid and you made up stories to explain things? Well, what if you were not wrong? Tumbleweed! is a documentary about one tumbleweed who is not like the others. You see, he does not move, and through the very funny documentary we learn not only where the tumbleweeds come from, who discovered them, and what their goal in life is, we also learn that just because someone does not seem to fit in does not mean they are not moving. As part of the geek/gamer/nerd culture, I am all too familiar with the ‘norms’ just not getting it. We are told there is something wrong with us, that we need to just move with the herd and grow up. My favorite line is that dreams are stupid. Yes someone actually told me that once. Everyone has a goal, and just because it doesn’t fit your preconceived notion of what someone should be doing does not make it any less valid.

But I give too much away about this 7 minute film with those statements. And of course I could be way off (hey, it would not be the first time. You all should have heard my explanation as to what was going on in Donnie Darko) but that is what I got as the message in Tumbleweed!. the film itself is really, really good. I was honestly thinking I was going to be bored because a) I don’t do westerns and b) I just don’t do western themed stuff. I had no idea what I was going to watch when I hit play. What I got was very entertaining. There was great cinematography going on here. Sure you could tell some of the effects work (and yes there is effects work) but it really did not matter. It was a great little story about a non-tumbleweed that just enthralled me. Why? It has this odd humor that I get.

For instance, tumbleweeds are not just plants, they are living creatures with a singular goal – to tumble. There are sequences with these really funny old film footage scenes with windologists discussing tumbleweeds, and my absolute favorite part is when they decided that a weed that doesn’t tumble is just a weed, and no one likes weeds. It is at this point that they turn the chalkboard over to show a drawn weed that they proceed to X out. I have no idea why that was my favorite part, but it was. They were so serious about such a ludacris concept that them scratching out the weed picture was just so funny. And there are more of these oddly little funny moments. The whole thing takes place in Alacrity, a small town where nothing but tumbleweeds live. And you are shown them just rolling about like it’s a normal day! It is so bizarre. Yet it works, and you think nothing of it.

I can see why this little film could be a festival favorite. Granted it has no explosions, aliens, car chases or gunfights, but I liked it. The music is great, the imagery is beautiful and the story is just funny. I am glad this was kept short and not drawn out to something more. It would have felt like Rubber, but not nearly as fun. I don’t like to ruin things when I review them. I used to, but the hate mail far outweighed the fan mail so I dropped that. (did you know half of the moon base is made of hate pail paper mache?) I just really got the message this little non-tumbleweed was trying to say. I wonder if I am right? Mayhaps I will ask the Varava Brothers. So, when you can, strap on the western wear and watch this movie! Granted you will look like a complete idiot while doing so, but at least you’ll have a really fun time for 7 minutes.

Now if you don’t mind, I am off to tend my own tumbleweed farm here. I need to get them in racing condition.

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