Céline Roustan
Narrated by a horse named Anton, The Horse Brothers is a seemingly nonsensical tale of the paranoia that drives a wedge between Frodo and his brother. As it all builds towards a violent ending, we begin to understand that there is nothing more nonsensical than paranoia itself! In their nine-minute SXSW short co-writer/directors Milos Mitrovic and Fabian Velasco craft a funny and weird narrative that shines with its originality, humor and distinct visual style.
“Familial drama, sibling or friendship rivalries and paranoia” were the themes the filmmaker duo wanted to explore when they started penning The Horse Brothers. Crediting Italian filmmakers – Pasolini, Antonioni & Argento – as inspiration, the pair confess they were “in the mood to make something of an insolent homage to the great Italian cinema!”. This tribute is evident in the film’s visual style, with even the title cards in Italian, adding to the general tonal weirdness of the film and making it even more fun.
Velasco and Mitrovic are now working on a feature adaptation of The Horse Brothers, which will be “less whacky and cartoonish than the short”.
The contrast between the darkness of the premise’s emotional core, the insanity of the actual narrative and the overall tone created by the sound and imagery is what makes the film such an engaging watch. From the very beginning, it is clear that it’s going to be a wild ride, but also a film that does not take itself seriously. “We wanted to make a film that primarily would allow us to have fun both on set and during post production, and be weird and unfiltered, without being bound by any expectations of how it will turn out or where it will show”, the filmmakers admitted. And it shows! The Horse Brothers feels like a film that allowed them to not only have fun, but also play with the freedom that the short medium offers, empowering them to go crazy with their imagination, without any limitations.
Oddly enough, the situation they wrote is a perfect metaphor for paranoia, as it’s fear that can drive you to madness and defy logic. However, once you start digging, you can discover that the fun and surreal dimension of the film actually reveals a much deeper element, which touches on aspects of mental illness. However, the film is meant to be light – despite that surprisingly realistic darkness present at the end – and that is ensured through its visual style and score, which together create a universe that is far from bleak and guides us into a certain level of suspension of disbelief.
With its World Premiere at the 2022 edition of SXSW, The Horse Brothers went on to be selected at multiple festivals including Melbourne and Vancouver, ahead of its online premiere as a Vimeo Staff Pick. The filmmakers are currently developing several feature ideas including an adaptation of this short and an adaptation of their TIFF 2016 short film Imitations about a pop star and an obsessed superfan.