Short of the Week: ‘Swimmer’, a stunning Lynne Ramsay gem
While many film fans often complain about the hyper-commercialisation that is affecting the industry, there are many modern directors who are constantly pushing the boundaries of the cinematic medium. Among them is Lynne Ramsay, the pioneering filmmaker who has created seminal works such as Ratcatcher and We Need to Talk About Kevin. Through her unique approach to film art, Ramsay has inspired countless artists around the world.
Born in Glasgow, Ramsay started out as a photographer and didn’t really have plans to go into filmmaking due to her socioeconomic background. During a conversation with BAFTA, she recalled that she was introduced to many masterpieces from Hollywood’s Golden Era by her parents, but she never really thought that it could be a possibility for her. However, going to film school opened Ramsay’s eyes and revealed her own talent.
While talking about her trajectory, Ramsay said: “I fell into it inadvertently through being a stills photographer. Being a film director wasn’t a career option where I came from, a typical working-class Glaswegian family. My parents were film buffs, so from an early age, I was exposed to their passion for old Hollywood classics. I was brought up watching Mildred Pierce, Bette Davis, Alfred Hitchcock. We would talk about the plot while we watched them.”
The filmmaker added: “So, I went to film school not knowing anything about film, having never made one. It was Walter Lassally, a great DP, he really liked me – I think he thought he could see an eye there… I hadn’t done a foundation year or anything. Most people there had made films before, I think I was probably alone in never having made one. So, I was discovering what films were and learning how to move the camera and everything. It was a different language, but I learned pretty fast.”
Many of Ramsay’s early short films deal with dysfunctional families and the concept of human memory. However, the one we have chosen for this edition of Short of the Week is a part of her later career, following the incredible success of We Need to Talk About Kevin. Titled Swimmer, the short is a visually stunning piece that follows the journey of a young man who swims through the glorious water bodies in the UK.
The visual narrative is accompanied by instantly recognisable British music, generating a strangely hypnotic cinematic experience that defies strict categorisations. While it is rooted in some of the same frameworks, Swimmer is different from Ramsay’s early shorts because it shows her evolution as a director and is much more polished in comparison. In addition to critical acclaim, it also ended up winning the ‘Best Short Film’ category at the BAFTAs.
Watch the film below.
