Lander Haverals’ 'Pure Madness' is indeed… pure madness! There is a fine line between madness and sanity and in this short movie we can easily see that line and how to cross from one side to the other. The back story of this short is shocking – in 2007, Jalle Haverals, the director’s brother, choose to take his own life. He did this after a long fight with his inner demons and fears. A few months before committing suicide he wrote a play that became the script of this short movie.
As crazy as it may sound, 'Pure Madness' is in a very good company. There are lots and lots of pieces of art depicting this kind of mellow madness in combination with other difficulties. Watching this short many other cases came to our minds: Ian Curtis from Joy Division, or Jim Morrison from The Doors, Kurt Cobain or even Sid Vicious. They all had some kind of depression and madness in common, the one we can also find here. Whilst watching the end of this short, one song was going on and on in our heads, and that song is Joy Division’s Atmosphere. This brilliant song has the following lyrics:
“Walk in silence/Don't walk away, in silence/
See the danger/Always danger/Endless talking/
Life rebuilding/Your confusion/
My illusion/Worn like a mask of self-hate/Confronts and then dies/
Don't walk away/People like you find it easy/Naked to see/Walking on air/
Hunting by the rivers/Through the streets/Every corner abandoned too soon/Set down with due care.”
As the main character was explaining the depths of his life, the problems he encounters, the life he was living and soon to be leaving, the only thing that made sense to us were Ian Curtis’s lyrics that came as a perfect fit.
The dialogue, or to be precise, the monologue is amazingly poetic. Every word that came out of the main actor’s mouth felt like a verse from a beat poet that is on a stage during a performance. Every pause was a cry for help, every little move was another verse that couldn’t be fully expressed in words.
So yes, this is one of the most expressive shorts we’ve seen in our festival. It is poetic, sad, emotional, musical, ambiguous, and all in all, amazing!
Written by Vlad A. G