Running Time: 5 mins.
Film Format: 16mm
Black and White
Copyright ©1997
Whacked! was Rolf Gibbs’ first assignment at NYU Graduate Film School, and the parameters or "rules" were very strict:
•no music
•no dialogue
•no color film
•no artificial lighting
•no interior photography
•maximum five minutes in length
Looking back, he now believes that working within such well-defined limitations forced him to think further, and to submerge himself in the creative use of the few cinematic parameters that were available to him. The same experience was described recently by Danish filmmaker Thomas Vinterberg (The Celebration) speaking of his experience of making a film according to the restrictions or "commandments" set forth in Dogme 95 together with fellow countryman Lars von Trier.
When Rolf left Berlin to study Film at NYU, he was already intending to take advantage of his first, unencumbered impressions of New York by making the city itself a character in his first short film. He believes that the freshness of the newcomer's point of view is visible in Whacked!
In looking for a story, Rolf was inspired by a fabulous location: an utterly surreal golf driving range on the Hudson River in Midtown Manhattan. Only after conceiving and writing the story from his imagination, did he learn that the real-life drivers of the ball-sweeping vehicles actually do get constantly bombarded by the golfers - and that their anger and frustration is real enough for them to find the climax of this story inspiring!
Whacked! can be interpreted as an allegorical statement about the roles of Persecutor and Victim, and the unexpected ways in which this relationship can suddenly be reversed. But, perhaps more importantly, this film has also proven itself successful at what Rolf had most hoped to achieve: to make a wickedly entertaining black comedy.
Synopsis:
People in New York are dropping dead in the middle of the street. What is the mystery behind these strange and sudden deaths - and what could it possibly have to do with playing golf...?
Festivals/***Awards
SUNDANCE FILM FESTIVAL
(USA) January 1998
Official Selection (in Competition)
BERLIN International Film Festival
(Germany), February 1997 (World Premiere):
***(AWARD: PANORAMA SPECIAL JURY AWARD)
DEAUVILLE: 24th Festival of American
Film (France), September 1998
***(AWARD: GRAND PRIZE: BEST SHORT FILM)
REELTIME INTERNET Film Festival
(TIME/WARNER)
***(AWARD: 1ST PRIZE DRAMATIC SECTION)
1997 International Student Film Festival
(Germany), May 1997
- AWARD 1: AUDIENCE AWARD
- AWARD 2: "FRITZ" BEST FILM AWARD
SEATTLE International Film Festival
(USA) May/June 1997
SYDNEY International Film Festival
(Australia) June 1997
VALENCIA "Cinema Jove" Film Festival
(Spain) June 1997
HAMBURG Short Film Festival
(Germany) June 1997
VILA DO CONDE International Short Film Festival
(Portugal) July 1997
EDINBURGH International Film Festival
(Scotland, UK) August 1997
BRISBANE International Film Festival
(Australia) August 1997
SARAJEVO Film Festival
(Bosnia-Herzegovina) September 1997
DRAMA International Short Film Festival
(Greece) September 1997
MOLODIST - KIEV International Film Festival
(Ukraine) October 1997
NEW YORK Comedy Film Festival
(USA) October 1997
WELSH International Film Festival
(Wales, UK) November 1997
SHORTS International Film Festival
(NY, USA) November 1997
GOTEBORG Film Festival
(Sweden) February 1998
PORTLAND International Film Festival
(USA) February 1998
MOSCOW International Film Festival
(Russia) March 1998
NANTUCKET International Film Festival
(USA) June 1998
SAO PAULO International Short Film Festival
(Brazil) August 1998
ATHENS International Film Festival
(Greece) September 1998
REGENSBURG Film Festival
(Germany) November 1998
MANCHESTER Underground Film Festival
(UK) February 1999
DAZED & CONFUSED Film Tour
(UK) March 1999
NEW FILMMAKERS SERIES at Anthology Film Archives NYC
(USA) April, 1999
MARYLAND Film Festival
(USA) April 1999
FLORIDA Film Festival
(USA) June 1999
ATLANTA Film Festival
(USA) June 1999
TOKYO American Shorts Festival Japan
June 1999
KIEV International Film Festival
September 1999
COLOGNE Short Cuts Film Festival
(Germany) September 1999
DRAMA International Short Film Festival
(Greece) October 1999 (re-invited)
ST. LOUIS International Film Festival
November 1999
Television Sales:
SUNDANCE CHANNEL /
SHOWTIME Networks (USA)
CHANNEL 4 (UK)
ORF - Austrian National Television
SBS - Special Broadcasting Service (Australia)
ARTE (France & Germany)
CANAL + (Separate licenses for Spain, Poland, Scandinavia,
Netherlands, Belgium)
TOKAI TV (Nagoya, Japan)
Credits
Written, Directed, Produced & Edited by
ROLF GIBBS
Director of Photography
HANS CANOSA
Additional Photography
DANIEL HUBP
Assistant Camera
ERLA SKULADOTTIR
Production Manager
MELANY KAHN
Sound Recording
SCOTT GREENHAW
Sound Mix
CHRISTIAN HALAC
Catering
SOPHIE MUTZEL
Cast:
"Driver"
JOHN ROSENFELD
Victims
CRAIG BALDERSTON
ROLF GIBBS
CAOIMHE MCAVINCHEY
RHONDA MERRITT
JESSICA RUSSO
NORIYOSHI TATEISHI
Golfers & Pedestrians
THEMSELVES
