Asterión
dir. Francesco Montagner
First of all, I am a big fan of this specific style of filmmaking. It operates as a visual mosaic where, piece by piece, the broader canvas reveals itself to the audience. Watching the narrative unfold in this manner is an incredibly rewarding experience, and it genuinely brings me joy as a viewer.
However, an essential technical observation must be noted from the outset. Throughout my multiple viewings—having watched it two times—the film played entirely without sound. If this total muteness was an intentional artistic choice by the director, I hope it is reconsidered. Sound in cinema is paramount; it relies on a vital, symbiotic combination of audio and image. Assuming this lack of audio is merely a temporary artifact of a work-in-progress edit, the film remains deeply compelling based purely on its visual storytelling.
Even in complete silence, I found myself closely following the pacing and the intricate connections structuralizing these small visual fragments. The director establishes a precise progression: starting with the broader environment, transitioning to our introduction to the bull, and then lingering on the ominous image in the prologue—hands covered in blood, their owner unknown.
The camera then refocusses on the bull, shifting heavily to its carcass, before meticulously detailing the process of taxidermy. We watch as a sculpture, a taxidermy statue, is crafted directly from a real, once-living body.
This thematic trajectory—symbolized beautifully by a small fly that constantly reminds us that everything is ultimately just flesh—elevates the narrative from a simple documentation of taxidermy into something deeply mythological. With its final plot twist, the story transforms into a modern Greek tragedy. The creation of this taxidermy figure becomes the literal preparation of a Minotaur for a new Ariadne. This bold metaphor was brilliant and exactly my cup of tea.
The director demonstrates an absolute command over cinematic language and knows exactly how to capture and steer the audience's attention. This project easily ranks as one of the best short films showcased in the Shorts Wrap collection. If the sound design were fully realized, it would easily achieve a perfect 10 out of 10 score; as it stands visually, it holds a strong 9.
CONCLUSION & VERDICT
This short film operates as a brilliant sprint, but it proves that the director is entirely ready for a marathon. Transitioning to a full-length feature film will require a different type of pacing and distance, but Francesco Montagner possesses the structural eye to execute it successfully. Harnessing his clear creative roots, Montagner is a name we will undoubtedly see in the headlines of the film industry in the not-so-distant future. A beautiful, commanding, and deeply resonant cinematic journey.
Review by Dmytro Sukholytkyy-Sobchuk
9/10
Asterión
Directed by Francesco Montagner (Czechia)
Under the burning sun, a solitary bull awaits tireless, whilst a man jumps deep into the darkest waters of his persona, in their common attempt to defeat death.
In this silent visual poem, the massive body of a bull appears on the table of a meticulous taxidermist, having died in the hot sun in the middle of a bullfighting arena. Working with the body of an untamed animal, the man is inwardly transformed and finds in the animal's skin a way to cope with his own mortality and the transience of life.
"It's the story of a double fate, the one of the man and the one of the bull, both doomed to succumb to their own restless natures." Francesco Montagner