Rob Munday

Loneliness can drive people to extreme measures. In Vedran Rupic’s award-winning short, The Diamond, we follow one such man, as his determined quest for company sees him trying to obtain something just out of reach, his singular focus neglecting to recognise the friendship he makes along the way.

If from that description, The Diamond sounds like a simple film, prepare to be surprised. In the open two-minutes of his film, Rupic sets the surreal tone with fake herpes, the unexpected cry of a hawk and having his character speak the short’s title directly to camera. If it’s absurdity the director is aiming for – an aim that will come as no surprise for anyone who has seen his music video and commercial work – he certainly succeeds, as the film spirals into even weirder territories after its lonesome protagonist discovers the titular jewel in the woods and comes up with an unorthodox plan to retrieve it.

When Stefan sees Douglas at the hospital, he comes up with a plan to retrieve the diamond.

With his storyline in place, Rupic had to get his production working in harmony to ensure the narrative’s lofty ambitions are brought to the screen with a similar sense of fantasy of wonder. Again, he doesn’t disappoint. The Diamond is a visually striking film, but it’s the combination of the cinematography, fx-work, sound design and performances that makes it truly successful.

The world Rupic builds feels based in reality, but it’s an off-kilter, “am I dreaming?” sort of reality that only feels possible when you get that cinematic magic just right. In The Diamond, it starts with Erik Sjöström’s outstanding dead-pan performance as Stefan and is then continued with Ulf Lundén’s inventive post-production and Gustav Jennefors’ playful soundtrack.

The friendship between Stefan and Douglas is the real core of the film.

The Diamond ends on a heartfelt moment, as Stefan realises that his friendship with Douglas was the real gem he wanted, but of course Rupic can’t just leave it there. As has been his approach for the rest of the film’s 14-minute duration, the Bosnian/Swedish director has to push things to another level and so instead of leaving us with a scene of reunion, we witness his protagonists body dragged through various landscapes, past a choir of herpes-ridden singers, before sliding into a bin.

It’s one of the strangest endings you’re likely to see in a short, but you really shouldn’t be surprised after all that has come before it.

The Diamond played the likes of Fantastic Fest, Odense and Palm Springs ShortFest on a festival tour that saw it become a firm audience favourite. In May 2023 it was released online as part of the ever-expanding short film collection on The New Yorker.