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Title: The Hungry Children
Runtime: 9 min
Country: South Africa
Director: Declan Manca
Writer: Declan Manca
Placement: Best Screenplay (Declan Manca) + Award of Merit
Synopsis: Jaydon & Max are two friends on their way to a house party. Over the course of the evening, a difference of opinion comes between the two friends.
OR: What was the inspiration for your film?
DM: South Africa has one of the highest inequality indexes in the world. As someone who has access to everything they could ever need, it can be difficult to see so many people on a daily basis without access to even the most basic of things like food or shelter. We deal with it by “othering” poor and homeless people, and rationalising our wealth by deeming them “lazy” or that we somehow deserve our wealth through virtues other than historic and systematic inequality. I wanted to challenge that way of thinking, and make a film that encouraged people in positions of privilege to, at the very least, exercise empathy.
OR: When did you conceive the idea for your film and how long did it take before it was realized?
DM: The film was produced in a very short space of time. For my final semester project at University, I decided to write & produce this film. The whole thing came together within the space of 2 months, from conception to completion. I think it’s good to spend as little time as possible on a short film. Overthinking things tends to make things worse. Nothing wrong with going with your gut a lot of the time!
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of working in a short film format?
DM: Conveying a lot in a short space of time. Although all films should do this, it is especially true in short films. You have to be economic with your writing. Every line and action should be communicating at least two things to your audience. You can squeeze a lot into a short space of time if you realise that everything that is said or done has two meanings. You get real bang for your proverbial buck if you focus on that.
OR: What was the most challenging aspect of your production?
DM: There is a one take that last almost a minute in which the two characters have the most pivotal argument of the piece. And for some reason we tried shooting it at night on a main road. On the night all the local university students go out to party. Sound was a nightmare. We had to do over fifty takes until we got the right one, mostly just for the sound’s sake.
OR: Do you have any advice for first-time filmmakers?
DM: Focus on the basics. At the end of the day, a film is just a collection of conversations. Once you realise that, you can really focus on the subtle art of directing dialogue and framing shot-reverse-shots. A lot of filmmakers starting out want to deal with the “in-between” stuff. How characters get from one conversation to the other. The cool shots. But at the heart of every film is dialogue, and if you can’t create compelling dialogue then you can’t create compelling film.