Short Pick Of The Day: ‘Sore Eyes for Infinity’ by Elli Vuorinen

“An optician grows tired of seeing the world too clearly and understands her inevitable involvement in its faults.”

Film by Elli Vuorinen, Finland, 2016.

Screened at 84 film festivals. Winner of the grand prize at Fest Anča 2017, Slovakia. Special mention at Animafest Zagreb, Supertoon (Croatia), and Leeds Int’l Film Festival. Special jury award at Animatricks (Finland), Anilogue (Hungary), and New Chitose (Japan) festivals.

Director’s statement:

Sore Eyes for Infinity tells the story of an optician who initially fails to understand her role in the suspicious events taking place around her. The film was my reaction to the current situation here in Finland and around the world. My intention was to tell a fairytale about about how we are all linked to other people and global phenomena. Our actions have consequences and we shouldn’t turn a blind eye to them, no matter how sore it might make our eyes.

In the film, the optician’s peculiar customers represent my concerns about the climate change, the medical industry, entertainment, and the general lack of empathy. The atmosphere in the film is just a little bit off to make it OK for a monkey to come and buy 3D glasses and for the femme fatale woman to suck people to her to wear them like an evening dress. My films are often somewhat surreal and a bit twisted. In this film, I tried to combine the surreal and serious with a cartoon world and to create a story that will surprise the viewer.

Credits
Script/direction/design: Elli Vuorinen
Music/sound design: Jani Lehto
Animation: Sanni Lahtinen, Elina Kylmänen, Kari Pieskä
Production: Terhi Väänänen (Pyjama Films)
Commissioner: Yle Finnish Broadcasting Company