“Cats and Dogs” By Joost Biesheuvel

“Cats and Dogs” tells a tale of two young lovers who meet at a masked ball. They start an intense love affair, inspired by their differences. The story is told in a poetic fashion; playfully exposing the difference between the solitary and the needy; the mysterious and the enthusiastic; the cat and the dog. Will they be able to truly take off their masks and find love?

The short film IN MEDIAS RUSH is an experimental cinematic journey into the depths of a manic mind. A poetic retro-sci-fi narrative unfolded in a string of unsettling tableaus that encapsulates the male protagonist’s ambiguous feelings about his birthday. While balancing between realities in his silent struggle with severe mental illness, we plunge into the film at a neatly orchestrated birthday party. The protagonist is accompanied by his girlfriend, and they are drinking cocoa on the couch in their mutual home. The setting breathes pure perfection, but through the voice over we sense that another reality is soon to be revealed. With one foot on the accelerator, he is heading towards the edge. The thematic focal point of IN MEDIAS RUSH is mental health problems among young adults, and the social/personal consequences related to the existing taboo on the subject. The film wishes to formulate an honest cinematic space in which words, sound, and image artistically interprets and articulates some of the perspectives related to especially bipolar, anxiety, and psychotic disorders. IN MEDIAS RUSH was nominated in the category 'Best Danish Short Film' at Copenhagen Short Film Festival in 2020. Original title: IN MEDIAS RÆS Directed by: Esben Persson -------------------- DK: IN MEDIAS RÆS IN MEDIAS RÆS er en filmisk rejse ind i dybderne af et manisk sind. En ung mand fejrer sin fødselsdag, mens hans tanker tordner afsted. Med en uvillig fod på speederen har han kurs mod kanten. FR: IN MEDIA RES IN MEDIA RES est un voyage dans les profondeurs d’un esprit maniaque. Un jeune homme fête son anniversaire tandis que ses pensées se multiplient. Malgré lui, il se dirige vers un point de non-retour. -------------------- Cast: Peter Alexander Bach & Amanda Overby Drew Director // Script writer // Set designer // Costume designer // Editor // Speaker: Esben Persson Photographer // Editor: Lasse Mølsted Producer: Latifa Lykke Ben Mabrouk Assistant producer: Cecilie Creutsberg Music composer: Martin Bejder Sound designer: Mads Hye Chief Lighting Technician: Rasmus Bruun Liboriussen VFX: Jonas Fonnesbæk Lodahl Colorist: Kristopher Paterson Graphic designer: Jakob Toft Kristensen -------------------- Shot on RED Monstro 8K with Lomo Squarefront Anamorphics.

Writing this film was all about combining simple words, with simple images and simple melodies to create the narrative for a complex love story. None of these elements were supposed to tell the entire story, but the combinations had to be magical, interesting, witty or unexpected. Also, it was important to keep room for the viewer to read between the lines and find their own narrative.
Composing the music was an absolute dream. I kept a 'musical diary' from the very beginning, containing bits of melodies and sounds. I remember playing the theme on the old piano during the shoot.

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I've been a musician all my life, but I've never had a better reason to compose. I absolutely loved it.
During the process, I got inpired by classic childrens books about animals. In these books, Every page has a single verse with a single illustration. This became the stylistic approach for each scene; using wide, symetrical shots to support each poetic phrase.

Joost Biesheuvel - Director

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Credits

A Film by Joost Biesheuvel
Starring: Selin Akkulak & Armand Rosbak
Executive Producer: Yanna Panagopoulos
Director of Photography: Tobias Smeets
Production Design: Sophie Draper & Jurian Vermoolen
Music: Joost Biesheuvel
Wardrobe: Imre van Schooneveld
Masks: Carlynn Armour
MUAH: Saro Seddighi
Choreography: Nicola Hepp
Assistant Director: Joost van Deijzen
Production Manager: Merle Keller
Gaffer: Christian van Marle
Best-boy: Thijs Besteman
Assistant Camera: Arjen Ottema
Sound: Sjoerd Kats
Production Assistant: Marijn Arbouw
Production Support: Sophie Victorine
Voice Actors: Aika Zabala & Ben Pryer
VFX: David Velt
Colourist: Ruben Labree
Soundmix: Yellowbloom
Casting Agency: Ash Agency & All Stars Agency
Location: Mucking Afazing, DesignByU, Monument 256
Photography: Rein Kooyman

Supported by: Vigics & Amsterdams Fonds voor de Kunst

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