The company Rare Exports Inc. provide a valuable service to the world; with small teams made up of the finest hunters in the world, the company captures, trains, and ships a most deadly prey to countries across the world.
Unfortunately I knew the joke in this short film before watching it, so I did not get the benefit of the surprise along the way – which is why this is tagged as containing a spoiler, even though some here seem to think that such a key thing is not worthy of such warming. Anyway, the short film plays like a piece of corporate promotional material, with an earnest voice-over telling us about the craft and risks taken by the hunting team, and the work they do. The twist comes when we see the prey is a wild Father Christmas – one of many being hunted, captured and then prepared to be shipped around the world as originals in time for the Christmas market. As an idea it is a clever one and amused me just by its silliness and yet how sincerely it is presented.
The idea of domesticating a wild animal for the sake of a commercial holiday is also one that is slightly barbed, and the slightly serious tone of the mock-advert does also help keep the viewer in this mindset – so although it is funny, it is not overly played for laughs, instead it does give you space to think about the idea that we actually do heavily commercialize nature – albeit not quite in the same way, but for sure there is an element of satire in here that it is not a huge leap to know that we would do this if it were real.
The dry and serious approach is very well done, and it fits the tone and style of corporate pieces well – not sure if Helander has his background in these, but he has a good eye for them anyway. Best viewed with the surprise as a novelty, it is an amusing and quite funny little short, which also works as a satire on the nature of commercialization, and of the commercialization of nature.
Unfortunately I knew the joke in this short film before watching it, so I did not get the benefit of the surprise along the way – which is why this is tagged as containing a spoiler, even though some here seem to think that such a key thing is not worthy of such warming. Anyway, the short film plays like a piece of corporate promotional material, with an earnest voice-over telling us about the craft and risks taken by the hunting team, and the work they do. The twist comes when we see the prey is a wild Father Christmas – one of many being hunted, captured and then prepared to be shipped around the world as originals in time for the Christmas market. As an idea it is a clever one and amused me just by its silliness and yet how sincerely it is presented.
The idea of domesticating a wild animal for the sake of a commercial holiday is also one that is slightly barbed, and the slightly serious tone of the mock-advert does also help keep the viewer in this mindset – so although it is funny, it is not overly played for laughs, instead it does give you space to think about the idea that we actually do heavily commercialize nature – albeit not quite in the same way, but for sure there is an element of satire in here that it is not a huge leap to know that we would do this if it were real.
The dry and serious approach is very well done, and it fits the tone and style of corporate pieces well – not sure if Helander has his background in these, but he has a good eye for them anyway. Best viewed with the surprise as a novelty, it is an amusing and quite funny little short, which also works as a satire on the nature of commercialization, and of the commercialization of nature.