Rob Munday

Based on his own personal experience of drinking deer blood as a child, S/W alum Kangmin Mim (38-39°C) returns with another stunning piece of stop-motion. Looking to capture the ‘most beautiful, but terrible’ experience of his life in his latest short Deer Flower, this 8-min film is an abstract retelling of what was obviously a very important moment in the director’s life.

Creating the film’s distinct look by modelling in Maya and then using 3D printing to create the puppets and props, though Deer Flower might have taken the director almost 2-years to complete (in-between freelance work), the end product certainly seems worth all that endeavour. Using modern technology, combined with traditional techniques Kim’s film feels inventive and modern, whilst also maintaining a real tactile, handmade feel – perfect for such an individual tale.

Deer Flower’s surreal and surprisingly humorous storyline might not be to everyone’s taste, but I find it hard to believe anyone could not be in awe of the meticulous craft on show here. In our previous write-up of Kangmin Mim’s 38-39°C, we described the the director’s level of craft and ingenuity in blending various techniques as ‘inspiring’ and it’s hard not to feel that sense of experiencing something special with Deer Flower – lets just hope we don’t have to wait so long for his next short, even if they are worth the wait