When I look back at how my love for short film first began, in the years before I even started writing for S/W, there are a handful of titles that proved truly inspirational in helping to transition this burgeoning fascination into full-on obsession, and eventually a full-time job. With a passion for dark and twisted cinema, I always enjoyed hunting out the niche films in this area and discovering something weird to show to friends who shared my interests. One such film, and one of the short films that opened my eyes to the possibilities of the format, was Jona/Tomberry by Dutch filmmaker Rosto.

A nightmarish film with haunting visuals, it was my first introduction to the work of Rosto and proved influential in not only nourishing my passion for short film, but my interest in the work of this distinctly original director. Unfortunately, at the time, his work was never easy to track down, so it was years until I encountered it again, but after seeing the Monster of Nix screen at a BFI London Film Festival screening in 2011, I was convinced he was one of the most unmistakable voices in the short film arena.

Rosto on the set for Jona/Tomberry

Rosto continued to make groundbreaking mixed-media shorts until his untimely death, at the age of just 50, in March 2019. I’ve long wanted to get his work on our site, but due to its limited availability, that wasn’t possible, until now. With distributor, and long-time collaborator of Rosto, Autour de Minuit, releasing five of his films on their YouTube channel through October 2023, we now have the majority of his filmography online to explore. This provided S/W with the perfect opportunity to finally give recognition to the talent of Rosto, with a much deserved retrospective of his work. But first, a foreword from his long time collaborator and producer Nicolas Schmerkin. – Rob Munday, Managing Editor

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After over fifteen years of collaboration in distribution and production, wandering together at festivals, discussing the world and films over one or more bottles of red wine, Rosto had become not only a loyal and regular partner in work and creativity but also a close friend (I would stay at his place when traveling to the Netherlands, and he would do the same when coming to France). He was disarmingly sincere and had an unwavering sense of humor. Our professional and friendly relationship was almost daily, despite the distance between Paris and Amsterdam. Discussing the latest films or series to watch was one of the hundreds of little details I miss today.

He often introduced me as his “French partner in crime.” And, for the “crime” in question (creating visually and sonically disruptive yet fascinating worlds), he truly had the mastermind’s qualities. A criminal genius who had the intelligence to listen to his collaborators while ensuring control over every step of the creative process and production stages. Quite unique in my over twenty years of experience in the film and audiovisual industry, Rosto, in addition to being a screenwriter, graphic author, director, actor, and composer of his films’ music, possessed the technical and artistic expertise of a dozen individuals.

He could literally produce and make a film entirely on his own, from writing the synopsis to the DVD cover, including financing, technical tests, studio management, organizing shoots, animation, compositing, editing, supervising special effects and musical recordings, posters, press kits… a true visionary and talented one-man band, a rarity in one’s lifetime. He was so generous in his creativity and his interactions with people – he would listen to anyone who spoke to him and gave of himself without restraint – that I began to wonder if he might have come from another planet. It is probably no coincidence that Bowie’s “Starman” was played at his funeral… – Nicolas Schmerkin

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The Short Films of ROSTO

With a career in filmmaking spanning 20-years, Rosto would often return to the same universe (or alternate universe, in some cases) in his shorts, creating a unique body of work that could be enjoyed individually, but was even more mind-blowing when watched together. Creating both a trilogy and a tetralogy in his time working in short film (he was also a musician, graphic artist and much more), his work played festivals worldwide, blowing minds all over the planet.

THE MIND MY GAP TRILOGY

Beginning life as a “bunch of rock ‘n’ roll songs” that were adapted into a graphic novel (starting in 1998), before becoming a series of short films, the trilogy began in 1999 and culminated in 2005. Described by their creator as a “psychotic thriller about the confinements of reality”, the trio of films are based around Diddybob and Buddybob, a pair of TV presenters  with no real understanding of life outside of their TV show – although that might not be immediately apparent from watching them.

Beheaded (2000)

Designed as end-credits, after a boy looks out of his window and declares “but, it was just a dream”, we follow a decapitated head on a musical journey with no-body for company. The first introduction to Rosto’s warped approach to story and visuals, the director described Beheaded as his “first successful independent film” and “the start of his filmmaking career”.

The Rise and Fall of the Legendary Anglobilly Feverson (2002)

Combining a variety of different animation style with live-action, The Rise and Fall of the Legendary Anglobilly Feverson is a ‘cryptic roadmovie through the clouds’, which follows a strange being (another decapitated head – but with arms and legs) as it tries to escape its existence through a hole in the sky. A step-up in ambition, both visually and narratively, from Beheaded, although it was released before Jona/Tomberry (see below) The Rise and Fall of the Legendary Anglobilly Feverson is actually a sequel to that storyline.

Jona/Tomberry (2005)

The first of Rosto’s short to garner critical acclaim, Jona/Tomberry played at both Annecy and Cannes, picking up the Canal+ award at the latter. Sporting an aesthetic that was years ahead of its time and a mind-bending narrative that would put The Matrix to shame, this 2005 short remains the perfect example of the director’s unique talent.

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Big White/Big Black (2006)

Somewhat of a departure, visually, for Rosto’s work, Big White/Big Black takes place in a ghostly world of white and swerves away from the director’s usual mixed-media approach in favour of something that looks more hand-drawn. Following Diddybob from the Mind My Gap trilogy, the short (seen as an episode of the graphic novel) was never screened at festivals or in theatres and instead launched directly online.

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The Monster of Nix (2011)

For his next film, Rosto would once again take his filmmaking to another level with the 30-minute animated musical epic The Monster of Nix. Featuring the vocal talents of Terry Gilliam and Tom Waits, the dark fairytale follows its troubled protagonist Willy as he struggles to battle an all-devouring monster in the village of Nix.

Described by Rosto as an “alternate universe” spawned from the Mind My Gap trilogy, much like Jona/Tomberry before it, The Monster of Nix proved a critical success for the filmmaker, screening at Animafest, Annecy, BFI London, Fantoche, Go Short, Nederlands Film Festival, and more.

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THEE WRECKERS TETRALOGY

Although a multi-hyphenate, music was always the driving force behind Rosto’s work and this was never more apparent than in his Thee Wreckers tetralogy. A series of four films, each based on a song by the filmmaker’s band, the quartet of shorts don’t follow a larger narrative arc, but are instead linked by their dreamlike qualities and the appearance of the band, in each film.

No Place Like Home (2008)

Created in-between Jona/Tomberry and The Monster of Nix, this looping disorientating piece takes place in a hotel where a one-eyed has-been TV presenter hides away in a hotel room with his dead sidekick (sound familiar?).

Lonely Bones (2013)

Sporting the director’s trademark mixed-media approach, Lovely Bones is another trippy vision from the mind of Rosto. The nine-minute short, about dreams and sacrifices, proving a hit on the festival circuit winning awards at Annecy, Hiroshima and Ottawa, where it won The Nelvana Grand Prize for Best Short Animation.  

Splintertime (2015)

Continuing where Lonely Bones ended, Splintertime submerges its viewers in an ash-soaked world, as an ambulance filled with the members of the Thee Wreckers spirals out of control. 

Reruns (2018)

The culmination of the tetralogy takes its viewers through a sunken maze of memories and dreams. Drenched in an ethereal green, it’s an enigmatic conclusion to a series of surreal shorts created over a 10yr period.

The four short films of the Thee Wreckers Tetralogy were compiled into one in 45-minute program, the series even has its own documentary Everything’s Different, Nothing Has Changed, which focuses on the band, the music and the short films.