SSF: “Fathoms”

Today’s entry is a bit longer than the usual “Summa” (over 20 minutes), quite a bit more melancholic (truth be told, it’s pretty much a downer), and feels quite a bit less kid-friendly than the shorts I usually post. It’s certainly unsettling at times, and even scary. …and you know I hate scary. But I loved it enough to overcome my built-in resistance.

Because there’s hope in it, as well. Somehow. Hope destined never to be realized, perhaps. But its presence is edifying, all the same. And its mood of long-suffering love and nostalgia and gratitude for the past doesn’t seem out of line for today, at all. (Its back story’s pretty fascinating. A labor of love. And sorrow. No wonder the short feels the way it does.)

Fathoms is a film by Joe Russ, Inspired by the loss of his father to cancer at the age of 17, and informed by his love for all things scifi, mystery, and horror.

Successfully funded on Kickstarter, Fathoms has been a labor of love for Joe. Made during nights and weekends, he created the story, animated, and composited the film over the course of six years. The locations are inspired by his commute from Park Slope, Brooklyn into Manhattan.

“In memory of Hege Russ and all those spirits lost at sea.”

Attribution(s): All artwork, publicity images, and stills are the property of their respective creators and/or distributors.