There are two rarities about Bear Hunting, Angelwood Studio’s newest production. First, it’s a student-made film, a rarity in tiny, traditional St Andrews. Second, it’s based on the ancient Greek myth of Callisto—the most culturally relevant thing to happen to that story since yours truly was named after it twenty years ago. Awash with the anticipation of finally hearing my name spoken on film (I kept jumping when someone spoke to the main character—is this how people named Luke or Harry live their lives?), I was treated to a film bristling with charm and polish, easily surpassing last year’s Glasgow Film Festival-featured The Ridge Grave Girls.
Bear Hunting is set in the same universe as Ridge Grave, but requires no knowledge of the prior instalment. All that really matters from the first film is that girls voted prom queen in the town of Ridge Grave keep winding up dead: in Bear Hunting’s case, that girl is Juliette Alcott (played by Abigail Harper, and revealed midway through to be nicknamed Art. You can see where this is going). She is (or rather, was) best friends—and, if she wasn’t so suddenly murdered, perhaps something more—with Calista Kain (Amelia Stokeld).
Calista is sure she knows the culprit: Hunter Kingston (Dylan Swain) attempted to roofie her, and when Juliette went to confront him, she met her end. All that remains now is for Amelia to find proof—and with Juliette appearing to her as a spectre, bedecked in the prom dress, it won’t be long until she takes her revenge. It’s compelling enough for a short—its breakneck speed makes it difficult to believe all this was crammed into less than twenty minutes— and I appreciated the nods to the original story throughout.
The entire eighteen-minute show is beautifully crafted. The framing is easily a highlight: there is a particularly lovely shot early in the show that plays with the foreground and background in a deeply satisfying showcase of the director of photography Tessa Muhle and cinematographer Nicole Egorova’s prowess. The strong camera work continues with some great angles between Calista and Hunter, helped by a set of instrumental motifs composed by Aldwin Li and Abena Oppon.
Basic editing imposes police signs and constellations upon the world of Bear Hunting, but that doesn’t negate the care that’s seeped into the physical props: a team of artists created an intricately detailed scrapbook complete with short journal entries and studies of classical paintings. The advantage of filmmaking is that these details are permitted their due through lingering shots and deep zooms: these little touches could easily have been lost on stage, or even under a less skilled director’s hand.
None of this matters, of course, if the actors aren’t strong. Thankfully Stokeld, the beating heart of the film, is captivating: most of her line deliveries hit the mark between sensitivity and gusto (and those that don’t are quickly forgotten in lieu her next gripping performance). Stokeld truly shines in her closeups—and the production team, clearly realising she has a great knack for emoting with nothing more than the tilt of her head and the set of her mouth, gave her many. Such is her star power that it becomes difficult for Swain and Harper to stand out—but Swain is chilling during his group scenes with a gang of friends, and Harper shines in her role as ghostly paramour. The romantic tension hangs heavy over every scene the two girls are in (and the role of cinematography is highlighted yet again when another character bursts in and displays Juliette’s illusion), and lends a pressing emotional core to Calista’s quest for revenge.
It's not all perfect. Sound is Bear Hunting’s Achilles’ heel—something the crew were able to admit in the post-screening Q&A. Filming outside in such a windy town as St Andrews is difficult, but indoor scenes also suffer from inconsistent sound mixing—which makes for jarring moments in an otherwise smooth film. Likewise, there are one or two awkward transitions (though mostly in the beginning, and quickly forgotten). Finally, the central mystery is contrived, and the evidence—a collection of photographs—isn’t a particularly inspired plot point. But then again, the mystery wasn’t why I came to see Bear Hunting: I wanted the sapphic relationship, and the final act of female rage that bookends the film. And if those two elements deliver, who cares that the sound was a bit janky?
The first screening of Bear Hunting was hosted in Buchanan Lecture Theatre—and what a treat it was to see the film on the big screen. It may seem obvious, but there really is a difference between sitting in a dark room, surrounded by people munching popcorn while the movie plays on a screen five times your height, and just watching a short on YouTube in your bedroom. Bear Hunting gained depth and gravitas from its premiere, while the concluding Q&A let the audience appreciate the details just as much as the production team. The team ended by reminding the audience that their next film, Watching the Boys, will be premiering next term—and at forty minutes, will be double Bear Hunting’s runtime. If Bear Hunting is anything to go by, mark your calendars—that too will be a must-see.
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