Short Pick Of The Day: ‘Intermission’ By Réka Bucsi

Hungarian filmmaker and animator Réka Bucsi has posted her latest short, Intermission (2022), online.

Departing from her usual lush, almost neon-like visuals and serene dreamscapes, Bucsi shifts gears — as the title suggests — with this minimalist, abstract exploration of line, image, and sound. The gentle black-and-white line movements are driven by the rhythm of the music, seemingly going nowhere in particular yet everywhere at once. Conceptual intentions aside, Intermission is a delightful piece of chill. You can dive deep into its layers or simply sit back and let its hypnotic soundtrack, courtesy of David Kamp, wash over you.

Bucsi explains, “After dealing with Covid-induced depression, I felt the need to step away from character animation and intricate storyboards. The title reflects that break, but I also envisioned the film as a possible intermission during a short film screening — a kind of palette cleanser.”

Bucsi graduated from Moholy-Nagy University of Art and Design in 2013 and has had a string of successes in short-form work. Her graduation film Symphony no. 42 was shortlisted for the Oscars in 2014. her short film Love was nominated for best short film at the European Film Awards. Her film Solar Walk won the Audi Short Film Award at the Berlinale 2018 and the grand prize at the 2018 Ottawa International Animation Festival.

Intermission, which screened at more than 20 international film festivals, was produced by Boddah, a production and distribution company based in Budapest. In between commissioned jobs, Bucsi is currently working on her debut feature film, The Great Silence.