The best short films I saw in 2023

I saw some interesting short films in 2023 and these are the ones that impressed me the most. Most of these were shown by the IFI in their Archive at Lunchtime strand of free screenings, while two came up in the Stoneybatter Short Film Festival.

The War Game (Peter Watkins, 1966) Shown as part of the IFI's nuclear season, this was made for the BBC in 1966 but not broadcast for reasons. The most effective parts of the film are the faux documentary scenes looking at the lead-in to and aftermath of nuclear strikes against Britain. As can be imagined, it is pretty intense, with the most troubling scenes for me being the child screaming after being blinded by the flash of a hydrogen bomb exploding 20 miles away or policemen shooting patients a hospital has deemed untreatable.

The Family (Bob Quinn, 1979) This was made for RTÉ but not broadcast until the 1990s. It looks at the Atlantis community in Donegal, who were better known as the Screamers, for reasons that rapidly become apparent. It is fascinating but some of it makes for hard viewing.

The Unusual Inventions of Henry Cavendish (Andrew Legge, 2005) Around the time LOLA was out the IFI showed some earlier shorts by the same director. This one is done in the style of an early 20th century silent film and follows the travails of the titular inventor.

The Chronoscope (Andrew Legge, 2009) In LOLA the heroines invent a device that allows them to see the future. The 1930s inventress in this short creates a device that allows her to see the past, with disastrous consequences. This highly effective faux documentary presents a mix of talking heads, doctored footage, and filmed segments.

Meet the Quare Fella (Fred O’Donovan, 1960) 2023 was the centenary of Brendan Behan's birth and the IFI marked this by showing various films associated with the writer. In this one Eamonn Andrews interviews Behan, in a pub. It's funny and engaging, not least because the two men have a clear rapport. But there is an undercurrent of sadness. At one point Behan talks about how he will be viewed when he is in his 70s; he was dead four years later, just 41 years old.

Brendan Behan's Dublin (Norman Cohen, 1966) Made after Behan's death this presents the writer's Dublin, with a posthumous voiceover purporting to be from Behan himself, delivered by Ray McAnally. Aside from the Behan content is is an interesting look at the city just before I started to become familiar with it.

Flips (Luke Corcoran, 2020) A man gets into an argument with his brother at the funeral of his wife. A two-hander with strong performances.

The Tell-Tale Heart (Max Hendrickson, 2023) An impressive animated adaptation of the Edgar Allan Poe story, all the more so because the director was only 16 or so when he made the film. I look forward to nominating this for a 2024 Hugo Award.