Rob Munday
Although inspired by a deeply personal experience – being in a situation where she is “inevitably” mistaken for another Asian woman – Shé (Snake) by writer/director Renee Zhan resonates with universally relatable themes. A twisted tale exploring how personal anxieties can manifest in tangible ways, Zhan returns to our site with her first live-action film, departing from her signature animated style to deliver a short equally distinctive and unforgettable.
Shé begins on a familiar note, introducing the high-pressure world of tightly wound violinist Fei. However, it’s around the six-minute mark, when Zhan’s stop-motion skills takes centre stage, that the film’s darker undercurrents emerge. From that point, the horror elements intensify as Zhan ramps up the tension and pushes the short’s surrealism to new heights, delivering a profoundly unsettling experience.
In a Q&A for the short’s online release as a Vimeo Staff Pick Premiere, Zhan explained that she aimed to bring the experience of internalised racism to the screen using “the horror language of doppelgangers and creature features”. Horror has a tradition of using animation techniques to spread fear through its audiences and with its blend of stop-motion and live-action Shé taps into this legacy to create a nightmarish vision.
Xiaonan Wang stars as Fei, the young violinist facing competition for his position in the orchestra.
“I think there is something inherently uncanny about the unnatural jittery movement of stop-motion”, Zhan states as she discusses the ‘creature design’ for Shé. Adding that she believes that there is something about practical FX work in filmmaking that “audiences continue to respond to”, she credits the tangible nature of the technique – “feeling the filmmakers’ hands behind the screen and on the puppets” – as key in the appeal.
As a longtime admirer of Zhan’s work – her 2020 short film O Black Hole! remains a personal favorite – I was both intrigued and slightly apprehensive about how her unique animation style would translate to the world of live-action filmmaking. I needn’t have worried! Shé is a testament to her exceptional talent. Zhan has made the leap to live-action without losing an ounce of her signature flair. This latest short is distinct, unforgettable, and unmistakably a Renee Zhan creation.
Now working on a horror feature about “families, motherhood and a demon worm baby”, Zhan’s next challenge lies in adapting her distinctive style to a longer format. We have no doubt she’ll rise to the occasion once again!